Here's to the Hero!
by Artgirl4
Summary: My own collection of little one-shots and drabbles for Danny Phantom. Never anything gruesome, angsty, depressing, tragic, and no character deaths! Might include a few previews of my stories-to-come! R&R!
1. Fever

**The first of the many drabbles and one-shots to come!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. There, I said it!**

**Fever**

Valerie dodged rocks as she flew over the town on her hover board. They had to choose today to fight. Valerie wiped sweat of her brow as she continued to weave her way through the falling boulders.

Valerie had caught a slight fever earlier in the morning, so her father had her say home while he went to work. Now she couldn't just ignore her radar saying a ghost was in the vicinity. So she had sped off on her activated ghost suit.

"Of course, it doesn't help being ill while fighting a ghost." Valerie grumbled, getting hit by one of the smaller rocks on her head. It was definitely fueling her temper, that's for sure.

Valerie could feel herself getting weaker. The ghost was only an ectopus and she was losing! She was breaking into a cold sweat, and her throat ached every time she swallowed, it dangerously dry.

Valerie was too lost in her thoughts to notice a boulder coming down on her, and by the time she did, it was too late. It came down on her, and she spiraled downward unconscious. The ectopus noticed an escape chance, and took it, leaving Valerie on the ground.

Of course, the ectopus didn't chance on running into Danny. "Where's the girl that was chasing you?!" He yelled, hoping to god she was ok. The ectopus frantically pointed in the direction Valerie had fallen in, before Danny sucked it in.

---20 minutes later---

Valerie awoke silently, her head pounding. What hit her?

She found that she was in her bed, tucked in. Had it all been a dream? She remembered fighting an ectopus, then nothing. It was all so strange. Suddenly, she heard footsteps. She decided to still act unconscious for now.

She was surprised to hear light footsteps, unlike her Dad's. They stopped at her bed, and then someone put a hand on her forehead.

"Fighting while you have a fever, Valerie don't you know better?" The voice said quietly. Valerie stifled a gasp. It was Phantom!

"Ugh, but then again, you are known to be hard-headed." Phantom said, then chuckled. Valerie had to try very hard to keep her cheeks from being red, trying to figure out what the ghost was up to. Right now she really wanted to jump up and kick his butt, but she didn't feel all that great.

Phantom surprisingly laid a wet cloth on her forehead, brushing away her hair. Valerie mildly acknowledged her suit was now gone.

"Man, I hope she's okay…" Danny said, brushing her hair back again. Valerie couldn't take it. How dare he touch her! It was driving her nuts! Unfortunately, she had finally realized something. She didn't have enough strength to do anything, even open her eyes.

"Now if only I could find out where your Dad keeps the medicine…" Danny said, and opening of drawers could be heard. 'Why do you even care?' Valerie thought.

"Ah hah!" Phantom said, and she could hear him shaking some kind of liquid. He then put his hand gently behind her head, and lifted it up. Valerie tried not to move. He then gently put a liquid to her mouth. But Valerie refused to let it open. For all she knew, it could be some kind of poison!

"Valerie, if you're awake, you have to open your mouth! This is the medicine you need to take!" Phantom said, and Valerie heard his pleading tone. She didn't know why, maybe because she trusted him, maybe because she didn't have enough energy, but she let her mouth open.

She felt the sweet-tasting water trickle down her throat along with some bad-tasting medicine. Ugh, grape flavor.

She felt a little stamina returning, and finally she gathered it up, and her eyes fluttered open. "Valerie?" Said a voice, and as her eyes came into focus, she saw it was her father, Damion.

"Dad?" "Valerie? What happened? I came home a while ago and you were in your bed, very pale. There was a note next to your bed saying that you whoever the person was gave you a dose of medicine at 12:00."

"I don't really know…" Valerie said, and she wasn't lying. She felt herself losing consciousness, and she once again fell asleep. Damion smiled warmly, rubbing his daughter's head. He then walked over to the window.

"Thanks for alerting me Phantom." He said, still smiling.

"No problem. Just make sure Valerie's gets better! Oh, and thanks for not telling her I was the one who gave her the medicine." Danny said, waving, and flew off, until he was invisible to Damion's eyes.

"Someday, you'll earn my little girl's trust. But for now, I hope you know that you have mine." Damion said, smiling, even though he knew that Danny couldn't hear him. And then he walked away to go take care of his daughter.


	2. All Dressed Up

**Just my own little attempt at a humor fic! After Phantom Planet. Hope you like it!**

**All Dressed Up**

Danny stared at the ceiling, throwing a tennis ball at it and catching it. He followed the procedure several times until he heard footsteps approaching his door. And not just any footsteps. Click clack high-heel footsteps.

"Where ever you're going, I don't want to come." Danny said, not even looking when the door opened.

"I'm not going to ask you to come. In fact, I've got a proposition for you." Surprisingly came Jazz's voice. Danny sat up. And stared. Then stared some more. And continued to stare.

Jazz's hair had been curled, her head band gone, her wavy locks falling down her back, framing her face. Her face shined, her lips painted red, her cheeks applied with light blush, and her eyes with some red eye shadow.

She had a long black dress on, accompanied with some black high heels. She looked absolutely stunning, all in all.

Danny stood up without saying a word. He then went into the bathroom, drank some water, then splashed it on his face until he was sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Jazz, who is he, and what is his name?" Danny said, once his throat wasn't feeling as dry.

Jazz pouted. "I'm glad you like it Danny. I'm going on a date tonight, and I don't want Mom and Dad to be around. I'm willing to let you do whatever means necessary to get them out of the way. I'll make it worth your while…" She hinted, putting on her best Bambi face.

"Ok, here's my conditions." Danny said, grinning.

"I get to meet the guy, interrogate him, and you pay me 50 Bucks."

"No deal. You get to meet him once I'm done with my date, you only say hi, I keep mom and Dad preoccupied when you have your date with Sam, and we never speak of this again."

"Deal." Danny said, shaking her hand. And then the quick speaking action was done.

Danny quickly changed into Phantom and said "Let the games begin." Before he phased through the floor.

Danny immediately floated down, and pulled his Mom and Dad through the floor, halfway so their hands were to their sides, and they were stuck.

"Danny? What is the meaning of this?" Maddie yelled, struggling to free herself.

"Sorry Mom, a deal's a deal." He said, and floated on top of a cabinet where he could keep a bird's eyes view of them.

"By Mom, Bye Dad, I'm off on my date! Thanks Danny!" Jazz whispered as she stuck her head in the door and winked at him, and then zoomed out of the place as quickly as humanely possible.

"DATE??!!! WAIT JAZZ I HAVE TO GET THE CAMERA!!!!!!" The parents both exclaimed, but finding themselves stuck were forced to glare at Danny in the mean time. Danny just smiled, and started to create ectoplasmic balls with he started to juggle.

"Daniel James Fenton you let us out of here right now!" Maddie said, thrashing about.

"Sorry Mom, but I have orders to keep you in their for the remainder of the period, in case you try to follow Jazz around, and/or bring her back home." Danny said, not even looking down.

Maddie growled. And so did Danny's stomach. "If you excuse me, I'm just going to be getting a sandwich. I'll be right back." Danny said, and zipped away.

Maddie grinned mischeviously. "Quick Jack, he's gone! Take out the ecto-lipstick from you pocket!" She whispered.

"On it!" Jack yelled moving his arm. He slipped his hand into his pocket, only to find nothing.

"It's not here Maddie!" "What? We put it in their when preparing for Operation: Jazz's date!"

Down the hall the parents heard Danny's resounding laughter. They had been compromised.

**Fin**

**My first attempt. What do you think?**


	3. I Just Need to Talk

**Sorry guys! The best way to think about what to do for my next chapters is to clear my head of all the little story squabbles that are bouncing there.**

**I Just Need to Talk**

Valerie got up out of her room hearing the doorbell ring. She knew it couldn't be her Dad, he was at work right now. It worried her a bit. She had just been out fighting the stupid ghost boy and now she looked like a wreck.

Valerie made an attempt to smooth down her hair before opening the door. She was completely surprised to see a depressed looking Danny Fenton at her door. His eyes looked absolutely dull and lifeless, and he seemed to be hiding his right arm behind his back. Valerie couldn't help wonder why he was there.

"Danny! Come on in." She said, making a gesture. Danny smiled, though his eyes still looked dull, and walked in.

"Hi Val, I just came…well… you see I wanted to…" Danny mentally smacked himself. He had walked over here so subconsciously he hadn't thought of what to say! Idiot!

"Are you okay Danny? You look like what happens after Sam reads you an hour long book filled with dark goth poetry." Valerie said, joking around.

"Yeah I'm fine. Actually I wanted to know, do you want to come to the Friday movie night I'm having at my place? Sam and Tucker are coming too, drinks and popcorn courtesy of Tucker." Danny said, grinning. In his excitement, he completely forgot about his arm.

"I'd love to. Hey-Danny! Your arm!" Valerie said, and Danny winced, trying to bring it out of attention. His arm had gotten gashed at by Valerie, and now it was bleeding deeply. That's why he had come here. Something had just told him to come here, to tell her, to let it out. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Valerie I'm fine. But that's not the only reason I came here. I want…I want to ask you something." Danny said, as Valerie sat down on the couch. Her stomach took an alarming dip. She didn't want him to ask her to be his girlfriend or anything! She couldn't allow herself to create a relationship with him!

"Valerie answer me this. Truthfully. Don't ask me why I'm asking this, just tell me you answer. Do you always think you're right? Do you always think that by blaming it on someone, or something, and getting rid of that something, things will get better for you?" Danny said, looking her in the eye.

Valerie swallowed. Her throat had gotten dry. She had not expected him to ask that.

"You know what Danny? I don't. But it gives me hope sometimes. Misplaced aggression, to be able to take it out on something, I don't know. But I know I'm not always right, but I don't like to believe I'm wrong. I can be flawed that way." Valerie said, looking down at her lap. When she glanced at Danny she saw his eyes were back to that dull and lifeless look.

"Valerie, you want to know something? I feel flawed every day of my life. I feel that things will never get better, and it's almost all my fault. You know why Valerie? Because I give it my all, and it's never good enough. People think I've got it good, but my life is worse than theirs. Worse than yours." He said, his voice cracking. He refused to meet her eyes.

"Danny why would you say that?" Valerie asked, confused.

"Because it's true. Everything I do will always be forced back on me. I will always have to reflect my every move, knowing that one mistake could push my life over the edge. And even knowing what you do, what you could possibly go through, it doesn't measure up to what goes on in mine Val. It really doesn't. And it doesn't help, when trying to get through it, there are all these things that block, and even help to ruin your life."

Valerie didn't know what he was talking about, but she didn't like it. Why did it sound like each time he was referring to her?

"Valerie, have you ever felt like something bad happened to you, and since then, your life hasn't really been the same. Not even being sure if its for the better or worse?" Danny asked, and Valerie sighed.

"Yes. I have. Truly. But Danny, I have people around me, that help keep the real Valerie, the one on the inside alive. And though I have no idea what you're talking about, I know that you do to. And you should never forget that. And one of those people will always be me." Valerie said, and Danny chuckled, smiling weakly.

"If only that was true Val, if only that was true." He whispered quietly. He stood up, ignoring Valerie's baffled face.

"I have to go. Thanks for the talk Val. See you Friday." Danny said, and walked out the door. Valerie finally snapped out of her trance, and sprinted out the door.

"Danny wait!" She yelled, but in the halls, no one was there. Danny was gone.

**What do you think? I hope I ended it right!**


	4. Ghost's Can't Feel Electricity

**This is a preview for my new story: Ghosts Can't Feel Electricity. Enjoy!**

**Ghost Can't feel Electricity**

Static Shock made his way home. Ahhh the joy of living Dakota, where bang-babies ran amok and him and Gear were the ones always supposed to be there to stop them.

Static was starting to wish for a way out of Dakota, just for a little while, away from the excitement. Too bad nothing like that was going to happen. Or not…

"Hey Virgil!" Richie Foley called out, waving towards his best bud coming down the street.

"Hey Rich! What's with all the panting, you look like you ran a marathon bro!" He said, knocking fists with Richie.

Richie smiled. "Guess what? I just won two tickets to a vacation spot! And you can come with me!" He said, waving them in Virgil's face. Virgil snatched them and looked at them more closely.

"Amity Park? Where's that?" He said, scratching his head. Then realization dawned on him.

"Rich? Is Amity Park where I think it is? Does you-know-who live there?" Virgil said, grabbing Richie and shaking him.

Richie grinned and nodded, and the two guys high-fived.

"Dude, we're going to see Danny Phantom!" Richie said, waving the tickets in a victory dance. Virgil broke into a grin too. Danny Phantom had hit the hero business a year before him, beating down the bad guys one by one.

Virgil was always knew Danny Phantom was the good guy, something just told him, and it was going to be so cool if Static could meet him! Wait a minute…

Virgil groaned. "Richie, who's going to watch out for Dakota while Static and Gear are gone?" He said, sighing.

"Don't worry dude, I took care of it. She-Bang has assured me time and time again she can handle the city while we're gone." Richie said, still grinning.

Virgil smiled back, and said "Great now all I have to do is convince my pops!"

--

"But Pops!" Virgil said, flopping down on the couch, "Static could meet Danny Phantom! Get a few pointers from him you know?" He said pleadingly.

"I don't know Virgil. These are ghosts we're talking about, not bang-babies. I'm not sure this ghost kid is even a real hero." Virgil's dad said, rubbing his temples.

"I know he is Pops! I've just got this feeling! Besides, I think Static needs a little vacation! It's summer and I've barely gotten to relax!" Virgil said, throwing his hands up.

And it was true. Between his search for a job and the superhero job, Virgil hadn't gotten much time to himself. And he was getting sick of it.

Virgil's dad sighed, and sunk into his armchair. Finally he broke into a smile.

"Oh alright, but be careful." He said. Virgil jumped up and hugged his dad.

"Thanks Pops!" He said, and then zoomed upstairs to get his stuff packed. Unfortunately Sharon was coming downstairs, and…well… "OOMPH!" Sharon said as she was pushed to the side of the railing.

"Sorry bye!" Virgil said, not stopping until he was inside his room.

"What's his problem?" Sharon said, looking down at her father. He simply shrugged and reached for the newspaper. Sharon sighed. She never got answers concerning her brother from her dad anymore.

--

Danny Fenton smacked his hand down on the arcade button. There was a beeping sound as the screen went bank.

"Yes! I Win!" Danny said, doing a victory dance.

"Ahh man!" Tucker said, slouching as Danny rubbed his victory in his face.

"I don't see the point in this." Sam said from her corner of watching the boys play. Danny smiled.

"Ahh c'mon Sam, we're boys it's what we do. Besides you whoop both of us, all the time, so we're entitled to our fun." Danny said, pulling up a crying Tucker.

"Yeah Sam, lighten up." Tucker said, suddenly non-crying. Sam rolled her eyes.

"You guys have been at it all day, how about we go on patrol?" Sam said crossing her arms. "You aren't going to give us a choice, are you?" Tucker said. "Yep!" Sam said, and grabbed the two of them by their shirt collars, and dragging them outside.

"Fine." Danny said, twisting out of her strong grip. "Sam you and Tucker get the scooters and we'll check from here down to the Nasty Burger.". Sam crossed her arms.

"Are we just going there to eat?" She said skeptically. "Yep." Said Danny and Tucker, and with that, Danny ran into an alley.

A light flashed from the alley as Sam and Tucker grabbed their scooters and zoomed off.

They started scoping the area as they put the Fenton Fones into their ears.

"Danny do you copy?" Sam said, tapping her fones. "Loud and clear." Came Danny **Phantom**'s voice, echoing. Sam smiled, and kept looking out.

"There's nothing here dude." Came Tucker's voice from the other side of the street.

"Yeah, nothing here either." Sam said into the fone. They kept patrolling until they came to the Nasty Burger.

"Well, all that patrolling has made me hungry. Let's eat!" Tucker said, jumping out of his scooter. "Fine." Sam said resignedly. And jumped off her scooter too.

--

"I'll have a salad, please." Sam said, handing the cashier the money and then taking the food to their table. Tucker was already stuffing his face, making bits of meat fly onto Danny's non-focusing face.

"You ok Danny?" Sam said, touching him lightly. Danny jumped.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little worried. Nothing's been happening today, I mean, not a single ghost! I know I should be happy about this, but I'm kind of worried." Danny said sighing.

"Lighten up man." Tucker said, slapping Danny on the back. "It's probably nothing."

"I guess you're right." Danny said, and then finally realizing the meat on his face, took a napkin and wiped the stuff off.

"Hey, I've been working on a new trick. Want to see it?" Danny said to Sam. "Sure." Sam said, and watched as Tucker ate.

As soon as a little piece of meat flew out of his mouth, Danny made a little green shield, and with a flick, the meat bounced right back onto Tucker.

"Hey!" Tucker whined, momentarily pausing from his meat bonanza and grabbing a napkin.

Sam and Danny just laughed.

--

About 20 minutes later, the 3 of them were walking down the street, when they saw two teenage looking boys. They looked about their age, but they hadn't seen them before.

"Hi, are you new here?" Danny said to them. "Yeah. We won tickets to come here. My name's Virgil and this is Richie." The brown haired and dark skinned guy said.

"Wasup?" The blonde guy said." "Welcome to Amity Park. It's kind of weird that they would be selling tickets to come here. Usually people are buying tickets to leave here, what with all the ghosts and such. My name is Danny and this is Sam and Tucker." Danny said, shaking hands with Virgil.

"I think they're selling tickets because all the tourists come here to see if they're really ghosts. And to see Danny Phantom most probably. That's kinda what we came here to do. See Danny Phantom." Virgil said, shrugging.

"Well, I don't think Danny Phantom comes out unless it's a ghost attack or something to that extent. But you're free to come look for him! Oh and words of advice, don't go to Fenton Works!" Danny whispered.

"Anyway, I have to get going, bye!" Danny said, walking away with Sam and Tucker.

"Bye, see you around some time!" Virgil said, and he and Richie walked away too.

"Nice guy." Virgil said to Richie, who nodded. They were rounding the police station when they heard a "Sector 42, I repeat Sector 42, a robbery taking place! A robbery taking place! Proceed with caution." Coming from one of the police men.

The two exchanged looks. "Why don't I go handle this? You take a break Richie." Virgil said, and Richie nodded, he walked away, back in the direction of the hotel they were staying at, and Virgil ran into an alley.

--

Later, Static Shock was high in the skies, where no one could see him. He flew fast towards the warehouse where the crime was taking place. Apparently the cops hadn't gotten there yet.

He quickly ducked behind one of the boxes, watching the three burly man lift crates into a sack.

"I think it's time to tell Amity Park that Static has arrived." Static whispered to himself, and flicked his finger, making a small spark.

**So this is my preview to my new story: A Danny Phantom and Static Shock Crossover. You can see my profile for details. I'm not sure yet, what the villain in this story will be, but until I finish my other stories, this one will not be posted. Sorry!**


	5. He's Gone

**This one takes place during Reign Storm**

**He's Gone**

Jazz's POV:

I didn't want him to take the ecto-suit. Danny was in his room. I wasn't going to let him take the ecto-suit. So I said,

"Don't be silly Mom. Danny needs you and Dad to take care of him. I'll go." . And I meant it. But then there was the sharp pain in the back of my neck, just like what I had just done to my mother, and my world went black.

When I woke up my first thought was 'Danny!'. I got up and looked around. I was still in the basement. There were many people around me lying on the floor. I wondered what possibly could've happened to them. But then it hit me. The ecto-suit was gone. And Danny was the only one not there.

"NO!" I yelled, and ran outside. Just in time to see Danny in the ecto-suit leave the ghost shield. And then I broke down.

I went back inside, and flopped on the couch, burying my head in my arms. I let the tears flow.

Each day since I found out about Danny, I worried. But he always seemed fine, a bit bruised, but otherwise okay. But this wasn't little ghosts he was fighting. It was a ghost king. A ghost army! And he was using the ecto-suit. Mom had used the word fatal!

I was mad. Why couldn't Danny see that there was such a thing as recklessness? Why did he have to cross the line from being selfless, to reckless? Why did he have to go out there, and risk his life? He didn't have to!

He never had to. But he always did. And he always would. Still sniffling, I wiped away my tears with my sleeve. Now wasn't the time to cry. I had to find out whether there was any way to help Danny.

I turned on the news. I gaped. On the outside, the ghost zone had flickered to the human world. Could that mean Danny was winning? I hoped to god that it meant he was winning.

Danny was always a hero. And I would always respect and love him for that. But he was just a kid. He was a teen, but still a kid. He could get hurt badly, or even worse. I might never see him again. And to me, that would be worse than getting overrun by any ghost army.

So I had waited, and watched the news, and had cheered when the human world had come back, and the skeletons had faded. But the cheer was only half-heartedly. Why? Because there was still no sign of Danny. Phantom or Fenton.

Soon everyone else was up, but I was the first one to the door when it rang. When Vlad opened the door with Danny in his arms, I almost hugged him. But I was suspicious. Vlad seemed so nonchalant about Danny, and he said that he had found him behind a dumpster. How was that possible?

But I took Danny and bandaged him up all the same.

The only thing that really hurt me afterwards, was one tiny little detail. Mom and Dad kept on ranting on how they would get the ghost boy for stealing the ecto-suit, which I also was wondering where it had gone.

It saddened me, to know that Danny could've died that day, and they wouldn't have known. They never know. And sometimes, like now, I really wanted to tell them. But it's Danny secret, not mine. My brother's a hero, and I love him. But what happens if one day…

He's gone?

**Sorry I ended it like that, I just couldn't resist! This idea kept on nagging me for a long time. Had to write it up.**


	6. Falling My Own What If?

**My own What if story. What if Danny was to fall from the plank, and had to transform in front of everybody as the ghost shield went down?**

**Falling**

Danny took a step back, almost losing his balance as Young Blood poked him with his sword.

"WAHHHHHHHH!" He yelled as he fell back, but suddenly realized there was no ghost shield. But everyone would see. They were positioned so that they were forced to watch his fall. But it was his secret or his life. He didn't hesitate.

Two rings formed at his midsection, each one making its way up in an opposite direction. In his place was Danny Phantom.

Danny floated up as everyone gasped, his eyes alit with rage. He immediately began blasting at Young Blood, momentarily distracting Ember and him.

Danny then sped at the teenage group, not looking at their faces. He shot an ecto-blast at the shield, making it disappear. He then grabbed everyone before they could even talk, and pulled them intangible through the boat. He took them all down as fast as he could, landing them gently on the dock, and then zooming back before they could even register what had just happened.

Danny then fought with Ember, eventually winning so that the ship was on fire and Young Blood was on his own. Danny went down and freed all the adults, and took them intangibly down to the docks too.

When he landed on the docks, he collapsed tired from everything that had just happened. That's when he realized Paulina was hugging him.

"Umm, could you please get off of me?" Danny said, lightly pushing her away. She gave him a hurt look, then smiled brightly.

"You know Danny, I always thought you were cute." Paulina said flirtatiously, and Danny rolled his eyes.

He then flew away before the adults could snap out of their trance. A little while later he walked to the docks as Danny Fenton. By then the adults were just waking up.

"Is everyone okay?" Danny said, ignoring the looks he was getting.

"Thanks to you." Paulina said dreamily, batting her eyes. This time, Danny refrained from the eye rolling, but sighed.

"Okay then." He said, then his eyes flashed green and he whispered to the teens: "Not a word of this to anyone? Got that?" He hissed menacingly, but just barely pulled it off.

"Fine. For now." Dash said grudgingly, his arms crossed, but only half hid the fear in his voice. Danny broke into a grin, and walked up to his Dad.

"Hey nice jumpsuit! And you! And you! And you!... Hey Danny, did you use the emergency Op Center?" Jack said, looking at all the suited children.

"No! What would give you that idea?" Danny said quickly. "Hey Danny, thanks for letting us use the emergency ops center!" Sam said from the Blimp, waving. Jack crossed his arms, and Danny glared at Sam, whom stopped waving.

**So, I'll let you fill in the rest of the blanks. Just gave these to those people, whom if they were like me, were wondering the What If for that episode. This is just a teaser, so you guys can get jump started if you like thinking and making up your own endings for stories! It makes me sad, because I thought this episode had a lot of potential to be something more. Sigh.**

**Artgirl4**


	7. Dependent

**This also takes place during Pirate Radio. I always wondered about this particular scene.**

**Dependent**

Jack didn't remember. And it was probably for the best. I knew I didn't want to remember. But the memories had returned, and I wished I could shoot them down with an ecto-blaster.

But it played over and over in my head. We had been freed from the exercise machines, and were running out. Somehow the flying pirate ship was coming crashing down. We were going to die.

I didn't even realize my screams. Then the ghost boy was there, yelling for everyone to grab onto him. This one girl clung to him like he was a doll.

But then I was grabbing him too. I was just doing it. I don't know why, but I grabbed onto him as much as I could and squeezed my eyes shut. At that moment, I put all my dependency on Danny Phantom.

I felt like puking, when I finally remembered what had happened. I had put my faith and trust in him, I had depended on him to get us out of there. And he had. I actually did puke at that thought.

He had saved me. He had saved us. He hadn't betrayed me.

It made me wish I had died that day. I rather would have. I'd have rather given up my life, and become the ectoplasmic blob of post-human consciousness that I hate so much. Than say that I, the independent woman that I am, had been dependent. On a ghost. On the ghost boy. On **Danny Phantom**

**A little sour for Maddie, but it's something I could imagine her thinking. Hope you like it!**


	8. The Musings of A Late Night Phantom

**This has been sitting in my notes for while, thought I'd post it.**

**The Musings of A Late Night Phantom**

When I was ordinary, I didn't believe in fate. Didn't believe in destiny, and future foretold. You could basically say, I didn't believe in everything Clockwork stands for.

I had a normal, average life, and unlike my parents, never wished for anything more. Maybe it was, in fact, because my parents made life so unnormal.

When the Fenton Portal gave me a chance to do something out of the ordinary, I felt the sudden urge to take it, even thought I never had in my life. But the urge pushed me forward, helped me to put on that HAZMAT suit, and laid out the path for me.

But when some unseen foot seemed to push a cord in my path, and some unseen hand guided my hand to that ON switch for balance, I realized some things.

Thins always happen for a reason. We are pawns in a game of chess without rules. The game shall never end, as long as the world turns 'round, and even after that, it will continue. When one pawn leaves, another shall take its place, just like a continuous loop. There is no beginning, nor an end. I was not the first, and shall never be the last.

When Plasmius was created, the beings that controlled the game planned it all. They left him alone, to brood for things lost. But the beings of the game led that to me, to help to create me, oppose him. I created the balance that was lost for the twenty years after the first halfa was born. But I cannot let Vlad know that I understand this.

These are the things I cannot talk about with others, for they were not put on this Earth for that purpose: to understand.

The people who know me, the real me, say I walk the tightrope between life and death. I am more than that. I shall always be the one to keep the balance between the two worlds. I must be half of both, for otherwise the clash would be too great for a mere person, human or ghost.

I am not special, or chosen, I walk on this Earth like others; with a purpose.

I shall forever carry this burden alone, and like others, be tempted to cheat on it. At one point in another dimension, I was forced into being crushed by the weight, and lost myself. That is why this dimension has become the only dimension in which the game is played. The other one no longer exists.

But I know, that I will be able to oppose this temptation, and not become what I was created to fight against.

I will forever carry this burden, but be allowed a few rests on the way, while these words will remain in this journal forever. Some may read this, but few shall understand it.

These thoughts have come from someone, who has been given long periods of time to think. But to further preserve my sanity, I must remember: I am just a teenager.

**Fin**

**So there! Hope you liked it!**


	9. Trapped

**My own reason as to why the students of Casper High adore Danny Phantom so much! XD**

**Trapped**

The clock was ticking. At 12 they would be let out early, everyone was betting on it. The snow was coming down so fast, that they had to evacuate the school. So everyone sat on the edge of their chairs, waiting for the early bell to ring.

Now I won't go into high school musical mode and say that a few of them were chanting "Winter, Winter." But I will say that when that bell rang, a few might just jump up and start dancing.

And when the bell did ring, Mr. Lancer hadn't even said his farewell when the students were gone. But then again, he didn't really care.

The students each raced each other, going for their backpacks and slamming stuff that didn't fit into their lockers in record time. Little did they know it wouldn't matter.

A teenager by the name of Danny Fenton, wasn't going as fast. He calmly walked out, and phased his arm through his locker, putting his books through the door. He then reached through for his backpack, and slung it over his shoulder.

He was going to fly home, meeting up with Jazz in her car later. Being a half-ghost, the cold air felt good, and not as sharp, his ice powers dulling it. He could also get in a little ice power practice, without drawing attention. Soon the roads would be blocked, after all.

So he loosely slung a scarf around his shoulders, his fluffy coat not zipped very tight, and walked along with his friends to the front doors. But instead of finding the halls empty, they were full of a crowd of upset, hormone-drived teenagers. Yikes.

"WHY THE HECK CAN'T WE LEAVE???!!!!!" Almost all of them yelled, a few windows cracking from the intensity.

"Calm down! We are afraid that the snow has sealed the doors shut. We will be waiting here until they snow plows can come." Principle Ishiyama said, nervously. These teens could start a rampage!

"Let's just go through the back doors." Danny whispered to his friends, obviously thinking himself very clever. Unfortunately, almost 95 of the student body got the same, oh-so-clever idea, and there was a stampede to get to the back of the doors.

Danny was able to turn him and Sam and Tucker intangible, so that they wouldn't be flattened like a pancake. Everyone except them was gone in under five seconds.

Unfortunately, the back doors were sealed too, and everyone ended up back at the front of the school, waiting. I would like to say that they were waiting patiently, but that would be a lie now wouldn't it?

So among some groaners, moaners, and mutterers of vivid cursings (which were scolded at by the faculty), the students sat down to wait, impatiently.

Luckily Danny had times when he could have a stroke of brilliance. That and when he was under a big amount of stress, his brain seemed to get kicked into overdrive.

Danny quickly ran to the back of the school, and turned into Danny Phantom. He then phased through the doors of the high school. This is where is brain goes, "Put! Cough! Wheeze!" and dies on him.

Danny, being the chilling dude that he is, could leave the rest of the school trapped. But, luckily, his superhero complex got the better of him, and he swooped down, going through the front doors intangibly.

"It's the ghost boy! He's cute! He'll save us!" Paulina immediately shouted, and everyone turned their attention on him.

"Yeah, hi Paulina. Umm, well, I t-think I can get you out of here." Danny said, stuttering. Smooth Fenton.

"Why should we trust you? I'm half convinced to go and push the ghost alarm right now!" Principle Ishiyama said, only to find herself crowded around by a barricade of students.

"Look Principle. We want out, and we want out NOW!" Dash said, and the rest of the students cheered in agreement. Then Dash, looking admiringly at Danny, gave him the thumbs up.

Danny gave a weak smile, and landed on the ground, where Paulina pounced on him.

"Umm, Paulina? I'm kinda going to need my body for this." Danny said, and Paulina pouted, and backed off.

Danny then put his hands to the doors, and the doors began to glow green, along with his hands. Slowly, the snow was melting. Danny pushed with all his might, his eyes closed, his teeth gritted.

"Go Phantom!" The students started cheering, and everyone started chanting for Danny. Danny ignored them, concentrating on melting the snow without blasting the doors.

He let out a scream/grunt as he was using all his energy, his eyes closing even more, and his face scrunching up. Then there was a blast that knocked some people back, and then the doors were open, Danny on his knees.

"Yeah Phantom!" Dash said, and immediately the jocks pulled a panting Danny onto their shoulders. Danny was so surprised that he grinned goofily.

Everyone crowded around the jocks who were walking out the doors, cheering for Danny, whom continued to smile. Then he seemed to snap out of it, and floated above the crowd. He waved, and then did a flip in the air, flying away. There was a boom noise, and he was suddenly farther away than he once was, still doing flips, while the crowd watched, waved, and cheered.

And that is why, my fellow readers, the students of Casper High, adore Danny Phantom.

**What do you think? I am getting attacked by the evil plot bunnies and my evil plot bunnie killer isn't working!**

**Artgirl4**


	10. Finding Danielle

**Okay Warning! You guys have GOT TO READ THIS PART FIRST!!!!! This is based on the fanfiction: Tales from Phantom Planet. As in: The 77 people that saw Danny transform signed an unofficial contract that they wouldn't tell his secret. After a long talk, Valerie is now a part of Team Phantom. Mr. Lancer was on of the 77 people that saw him transform. Sam and him are dating. His parents know and accept him. Tucker was only temporarily Mayor. There! NOW READ!**

**Finding Danielle**

Danny tossed and turned in his sleep. Finally he shot up awake and looked at the clock before groaning. A Saturday morning and he was awake at 9:00? And he knew he wasn't going to get anymore sleep. He kept on having the same awful dream. And he knew it wasn't going to go away until he found her.

"Hello sweetie! I hope no ghosts interrupted your sleep tonight!" Maddie said as Danny flopped down into his chair and started wolfing down his pancakes.

"Actually there were a few, but it was fine. Just the box ghost and Technus, trying to rob a software store." Danny said, then looked up to Maddie and Jack's blank looks.

"Remind me to show you the ghost files on my computer some time." Danny said, and went back to eating his pancakes as Jack visible brightened.

"Danny, I really do worry about your health. You need to get more sleep!" Maddie said, her brow furrowing.

"Yeah well, there isn't much I could do about it Mom. Ghosts attack whenever they want to. Not when I want them to, which is never. Besides, I'm not about to wake you two up while you're sleeping because I'm feeling lazy. I don't want you guys getting hurt." Danny said, smiling.

Maddie smiled back warmly, as well as Jack. "Danny! You're growing up so fast! I'm so proud of you sweetie! Besides, you need your sleep!" Maddie said, but she could see that Danny wasn't listening anymore. He did that when he wanted to make it clear it was of no use. Stubborn as a mule.

"So…I kind of have to go do something today. I've been putting it off ever since the disasteroid, and now I've got to go and do it." Danny said, being vague.

"What is it? Can we come?" Maddie and Jack said instantly.

"I'm sorry but this is a solo mission. I'm going to go find someone I've been meaning to, then bring her back here. But it requires me going into the ghost zone. You can't come, and neither is Sam, Tucker, or Jazz." Danny said firmly, shaking his head.

"Danny, who is this girl you speak of?" Maddie said worriedly.

"She's…the third halfa I mentioned." Danny said, and instantly Maddie was relieved. When Danny had spoken of her, he spoke so protectively of this girl, that Maddie wanted more than anything to meet her. Maddie knew that Danny probably thought of this girl as family, and was proud of him for liking this girl so much as to bring her here. Maddie knew he would love her.

"Danny, there's just one thing. Why do you have to go alone? Why not bring some of us with you?" Maddie said, concerned.

"It's just something I have to do." Danny said seriously, then smiled goofily. "Don't worry Mom, I'll be fine!" He said. It amazed Maddie how quickly he could act like a teenager, then switch to an adult, then teenager again.

"Ok Danny…but I want you to be careful. And bring the Fenton Fones with you! And you might want to call Sam and Tucker before you go. How long will you be gone by the way?" Maddie said, her mother's intuition taking over.

"Well, it might take a day or two." Danny said, quietly, but managed to keep a straight face when his mother exploded.

"WHAT???!!!!" Danny sighed. "Mom, it might take a while to find her, because she went into hiding. It's going to take a while to reach the people who might be able to help me, and they might not even be able to, and then to actually find her. All of it takes time." Danny said, stuffing some eggs into his mouth.

"Danny, why do you have to go alone?" Maddie asked, obviously worried.

"Mom I'll be fine. Trust me when I say, this is just something I have to do. And would you promise me something?" Danny said seriously, and Maddie nodded.

"The third halfa had been through a lot. I want her welcomed here with open arms. Please let her be a part of this family. And don't try to ask Sam and Tucker about her past. It's her past, not her present. Will you let her be a part of this family?" Danny said, biting his lip.

Maddie smiled warmly, and hugged him. "Of course Danny! You obviously care for this girl, and we're more than willing to have her stay with us!" She said, and Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"Great! Now I need to call Sam and Tucker!" Danny said, and forgetting about his eggs, jumped up, and ran into his room.

---30 minutes later---

"You ready?" Sam said, handing him the Fenton Thermos in front of the Ghost Zone Portal.

"Yeah." Danny said, checking the Fenton Fones. He had told Sam and Tucker they weren't coming, and they hadn't been very happy about it. But they had understood, even if Sam was still slightly scowling.

"One more thing…" Danny said, and grabbed Sam's hand, pulling her into a kiss. When they finally pulled away, they barely acknowledged the fact that Tucker was cheering, and had pulled out his PDA to record the whole thing.

"Man I never get tired of that!" He said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What did you say Tucker?" Danny said, still not looking at Tucker but gazing at Sam. 'Ah the joy of being the third wheel.' Tucker said, and then walked up and grabbed Danny by his ear, giving it a good yank and pulling him from Sam.

"Focus Danny! You can kiss Sam later! Now you have a mission to do." He said, and Danny nodded, smiling at Sam, high fiving Tucker, and giving his parents and Jazz a hug.

"I'll be back. And she'll be with me." Danny said strongly. He had already told Tucker and Sam he didn't want hiss family to know anything besides Dani's gender yet. He wanted to let Dani be the one to tell her. Lately, he had been getting nightmares of Dani feeling alone, and getting hurt in the ghost zone. That's why he wanted to go get her. He wanted her to be safe.

Valerie was going to be hunting ghosts along with the others, and his parents and Team Phantom would be able to hold back the ghosts for the while he was gone.

Without saying another word Danny dived into the ghost zone. He looked in wonder at the ectoplasmic world, and the spirits roaming around in it. He smiled, and took a deep breath. Time to find Dani.

**So this is my teaser chapter for my next story: Finding Danielle. This will be Danny's adventures and bondings with Dani as he goes looking for her in the ghost zone, as she becomes part of the family, as she goes to school as Dani Phantom-and the author of New Student Phantom approved that!-and has some ghost battles, as well as a few fights with Danny! I won't be posting this until I finish my other stories unfortunately. Sorry guys!**

**Artgirl4**


	11. Why'd You Do It?

**Why'd You Do It?**

Danny was falling. The rings around his waist had long since formed. Everyone had gasped, just like he knew they would. But it didn't matter anymore. He was only half-conscious, and soon he'd be dead.

'Huh, a half conscious half ghost' He mused, half delirious as well. He didn't even want to add that to the list. And now he was falling, his body flipping in the air, his head going down first, then his feet, then his head again. He didn't really care. Right now he was the air's toy, and then he'd be dead.

'At least I'm still a source of amusement to someone.' He mused again, as he completed another flip. At this rate he could become and olympist. But it didn't matter anymore. He was falling. He was going to die.

As his body fluttered in the air (It was a long drop down), time seemed to slow. He remembered what had been said…and how everyone down there had heard every word of it.

"_You really think you can beat me??!! You're pathetic!"_

_"I don't have to beat you! I just have to win long enough to keep you away from them!" _

_"Oh and then what? I'll just keep coming back Daniel! I'll always be here! And I'll always be ready for a fight! You won't you silly boy! Why don't you just give up and give me this ridiculous town you work so hard to protect? They don't even want you protecting them anyway!"_

_"Because they need me! And as long as they need me, I'll always be here!"_

Looked like he wasn't going to be able to keep that promise. He could feel the blood pouring out of the gash that slashed across his chest. He could feel the sharp pain of his cracked ribs. He could feel the tears pouring down his face. I'm sorry…

"_Why do you do this? You think just because you help them they'll like you? You'll always be a freak! But never to me Daniel! Never to me! I can help you through this!"_

_"I do this because this is my town! I grew up here! And I may be a freak….They may never accept me….but right now they need me! AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET THEM DOWN!!!!!" _

He'd released a ghostly wail on him, but he'd still kept his balance. Danny had been growing weaker though.

_"You can't win Daniel. You never could! What kept you going? Why did you do this?"_

_"It's simple Vlad. I'm determined. And I have something to keep me going, that reminds me why I'm doing this."_

_"Oh? And what, pray tell me, is that?"_

_"__**Everything I'm Fighting For."**_

Danny had did it. Vlad was gone, trapped in his thermos. And him? Completely drained of energy.

That's when he heard the whirring sound. It's the sound of a machine starting up.

'Oh great. I'm falling and their shooting at me? Just great.' He thought. He could tell he was nearing the ground. And second now, and-

-Plop! Danny felt strong hand catch his falling body, and pulling him up, short of the ground. He winced as the hands touched his cracked ribs and cut.

Slowly he opened his eyes and saw a black tinted visor. He couldn't tell whether the person behind the visor was glaring or staring.

'Oh right. Valerie…' His thoughts processed slowly. He then mentally groaned.

'Maybe I should've just hit the ground.'

**There! Done! You guys know I can't kill Danny off! It's just barbaric! But I can make him bruised and bloodied. But no, never killed. Yes, I'm putting off reality of virtuality! Sorry!**

**Artgirl4**


	12. Why'd You Do It? Part 2

**Why'd You Do It? Part 2**

"Danny! Stay with me!" Valerie shouted, shaking the limp boy in her arms. Her voice didn't imply whether she was angry or concerned, but she continued to shake him in an effort to keep him awake. But it was too late. Danny's eyes slid closed and his body fell limp.

Valerie gave surprised yelp and felt for his pulse on his wrist. She let out a breath of relief when she felt a distant beat. That's when she got pushed.

"Valerie let go of him!" Sam yelled, taking Danny into her arms and bringing him over to Tucker, whom immediately started fussing over him. Valerie stood there shell-shocked. They knew who she was….and who Danny was.

"Plasmius did some real damage this time." Tucker said, checking over Danny, and looking nervously at his cut.

"You knew about Vlad?!" Valerie yelled, and Sam and Tucker both nodded absently. Valerie silently fumed. She didn't like being ignored. But her expression melted when she looked at the very pale Danny. 'He's just like Danielle…'

Sam looked up frantically and her eyes met Valerie's. Of course, only Valerie knew that because of her black visor.

"Valerie, a crowd is coming. We can't let them see Danny not now. Can your visor carry us back to his house?" Valerie took a few steps back. What should she do? But then she looked at Danny again. She tapped her feet together and her board rose up.

"Through the door or through the roof?" She said, her attitude back, and she hoisted Danny up on the board as Sam let out a breath of relief.

"Hurry they're coming!" Tucker said, and both him and Sam hopped on.

"Through the roof, but intangible please! We don't want to face questions from his parents not yet anyway!" She said quickly and Valerie nodded.

She quickly took off just as the crowd was reaching them, and they all pointed and stared at the retreating figures.

By the time Valerie reached Danny's house, Jazz was sitting on the bed waiting for them. She immediately took Danny without a word, her face draining of all color. Sam laid a sympathetic and supporting hand on Jazz's shoulder and both girls smiled.

Valerie, on the other hand, felt completely alone. She didn't feel like she should be here, being a part of this. But Danny needed her. And she wasn't going to let him down. Jazz went back to tending him.

"I think we should get my parents." Jazz said slowly, looking down at him. Tucker and Sam stood up quickly, both yelling,

"WHAT?!". Jazz looked down at her brother again, and when she looked at them, tears were threatening to pour out of her eyes.

"Guys, he needs help. I think he might even be slipping into a coma. And no body but my parents will be able to help him if he does. What else can we do? They'll be here in no time anyway, busting down the door and demanding to see him! Then what? Guys I'm tell you it's the only way!" Jazz said. She had shouted most of it, but her voice was cracking. Sam and Tucker were silenced.

"Maybe you should." Valerie spoke up, though very softly. Jazz nodded in her direction, smiling slightly. 'She knows too' Valerie thought, stunned.

Suddenly there was a bang and the door in the room was busted apart. There was Maddie and Jack. As soon as they saw Danny, they rushed to his side, Maddie taking his head into her arms and crying.

---1 hour later---

Maddie looked up at the expectant group, and then back down at her pale son. 'He looks so weak…' she thought, and then shook her head, as if to ward away those thoughts.

"There's good news, and theirs bad news." She said, and their faces fell, but at the same time a sparkle of hope in their eyes.

"The good news is that he will wake up. The bad news is we don't know when." She said, and watched as many emotions swept through their faces. And realization. Of course, her daughter was the first to figure it out.

"You mean-" "Yes." Maddie said firmly, seeing her daughters face sadden. She turned to the confused people in the room.

"Danny's in a coma.".

**So yeah, I think I'll continue this in my drabbles. The next one will come later. I'm only continuing this because so many people wanted more. SO I'M GIVING YOU MORE!!!!! R&R!**

**Artgirl4**


	13. Just Be Calm

**Just Be Calm**

Valerie grabbed her book bag and slung it over her shoulder. She paid no attention the heavy books in her bag and the should've-been staggering weight her bag contained. Instead, she just gritted her teeth and kept walking.

As she made her way down the steps of the school, she saw Star wave to her among the preps. She waved back, but as soon as Paulina started talking to her, Star's grin was wiped off her face and replaced with a perky-A-list grin. Something that Valerie was all too familiar with.

Valerie continued down, and Danny and his friends managed to catch her eye. He was laughing and joking with them. Suddenly he said something, and Sam's eyebrows knitted together for a split second before returning to their usual place. Valerie noticed this and applauded herself for finding that small detail. She had gotten a very good eye thanks to ghost hunting.

Danny then waved to his friend, and surprisingly, they started to walk home. Without Danny. Valerie cocked one eyebrow but shook it off. She watched Danny intently.

Danny proceeded to look around his surroundings, presumably just taking in the view. But it was obvious to Valerie that he was looking for someone.

Valerie's eyes and Danny's eyes suddenly met, and Valerie almost stepped back at the look in his eyes. She hadn't seen that kind of look before. She looked again but a student passed by and when Valerie met the place where Danny had been, he was gone.

Valerie shook her head, and continued walking. So what if the trio was inseperable? Their houses were in separate directions anyway! So Valerie would've continued walking down the sidewalk away from Casper now, but she felt a hand grab hers and pull her with gentle force. Gentle, but still force that brought her with the person effortlessly. Which surprised Valerie, since she was usually very firm.

"I want you to see something. Come with me." Danny said quietly and seriously. Valerie was surprised it was him, and at the fact he wasn't looking at her. But she calmed down and nodded silently. Danny was freaking her out, and at the same time she was a little stunned so it was pretty much all she could do.

Danny led her through the twists and turns. Valerie managed to recognize the park, but this was in the woods part that no one really went into. Where was Danny taking her?

Soon they came to a clearing, and it took Valerie's breath away. The trees gave way to the sun, bright and sparkling, and shining on a silvery gray rock. This place seemed tranquil and peaceful, and something about the amazingly big rock seemed magical.

"I come here to think sometimes." Danny said, looking at the scene laid out in front of him. Valerie cocked her head to one side and stared at him. The look on his face was so…undannyish. She found herself wishing he would break into one of those adorably goofy grins. But he didn't.

"It's nice…you know? Just to sit down...and think. Lately there's a lot to think about." He said, not looking at her still. He went forward and got onto the rock effortlessly, climbing up it even though she had seen him just barely pass the President's Fitness test. What surprised her the most was the light of the sun seemed to focus on him as he closed his eyes and sat down in a meditation position.

Danny gestured for her to come up too with his eyes closed, and she made her way to the rock, trying not to make a sound. She grabbed a hold, pulled up…and slid down. She gave a surprised yelp, and tried again. And again. And Again. She started getting frustrated, but Danny still didn't open his eyes.

"You have to be at peace to get up. I don't know why, but you just do." He said calmly, and Valerie, nodding, took deep breaths to calm herself. She took hold of the rock, and hoisted herself up. She almost fell right into Danny's lap. It was so easy all of a sudden. She stood up, brushed herself off, and gazed at him.

"How?..." "A wise…**being** once told me that when you have more than you can handle coming at you, just sit right here and think. I've never questioned him and probably never will. I sit here, and for once, I can think. Here you can think too." Danny said, his eyes closed as he took a deep breah and exhaled. Valerie sat down, puzzled still.

"But why…?" "Show you? Valerie, I know you may think you don't but you need it. You have a lot going on right now." He said, turning his face up to the light. A small smile slid on his face as the warmth lit up his face.

Valerie's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean by that?" She demanded.

"Whatever you think I mean by that. But I do know that you're exhausted. Mentally and physically." He said, perfectly calm.

"Yeah, but-" "Valerie.. Enough. Just think. Let your thoughts finally flow." He said, breathing deeply again. Valerie frowned, but got into the same position he did, and just started to think. A warm feeling but at the same time cool and refreshing washed over her, and she felt as though all her worries had disappeared. (sorry for the cliché) Suddenly she felt a hand tap her shoulder. It was obvious it had been a while as she felt tired and her left leg fall asleep.

She opened her eyes to see Danny-the old Danny- grinning at her goofily. He offered her a hand and he hoisted her up (amazingly), and together they made their way down. Soon they were back at the street and Danny smiled at her again, waving goodbye.

"Come back whenever you want. But remember to be calm." He said, and Valerie nodded.

"Thanks." She said, sincerely and Danny nodded back.

"Don't mention it. Seriously, don't mention it to anyone else. And if you need to find it, just 'get yourself lost in the woods'." Danny said, and before Valerie could respond he turned sharply and made his way down the street.

Valerie shook her head in confusion, and took out her cell phone, hoping her Dad wouldn't ground her for coming home so late. She

Took out her cell phone and found to her amazement it was still the time she had left! Was that why Danny had been mumbling something about clocks and working and time?

-----2 Days later----

Valerie groaned, making her way through the twigs that were sticking in her face. Why had she even bothered? She pushed another tree branch back, the piney smell making her nose twitch. She felt a sharp stick poke her side, and yelped, jumping to a side. Suddenly a tree root stuck in front of her foot, and she tripped, falling.

When Valerie finally had the courage, (and the confidence) to look up, she found herself staring at the great silver rock. And the black and white figure perched on top of it.

OF ALL THE PEOPLE!!!! She mentally grumbled in her mind, looking around for a weapon in her bag, which should've been there. But it wasn't. All of her ecto-weapons had disappeared! Valerie then slapped her head, realizing something. 'Oh right, place of peace thing.' . Valerie smiled. Maybe a sneak attack…

Quietly, not even making a sound, Valerie made her way up the rock, taking deep cleansing breaths. She approached Phantom-whom still was in the same meditating position as Danny- and was about to strike him on his pressure point-she wasn't a ninth degree black belt for nothing!-when that warm and refreshing feeling washed over her. It seemed to say 'why fight?' and she let her hand drop down.

Valerie folded her legs and started meditating, the whole time saying to herself 'be calm Valerie…you can do this…just be calm…'. And next to her, Phantom smiled slightly, even though he knew her slightly opened eyelid would catch it. He didn't care. He just had to be calm.

**I'm working off some excess ideas. Then the next chapter for TRoV!**


	14. Questions

Questions

**Questions**

Danny swung his legs back and forth in time to the clocks. The question was nagging him at the back of his mind, but that only encouraged him to push it back further.

Danny watched in mild interest as Clockwork went about in his tower, tidying things up. Danny stifled his laughter at the thought/picture of Clockwork in an apron with a feather duster in his hand came to mind. 

Of course, that wasn't what Clockwork was doing. His lair wasn't entirely clean, with a fine layer of dust coating the floor, but ghosts floated, so it wasn't that much of a problem.

Clockwork was checking his clocks. Each day he did this, making sure they were in proper order even though he already knew whether they would be or not. Just the thought of it made Danny's head spin. 

Clockwork would open the glass compartment, and tinker around with some do-hickeys that Danny didn't know the name of. Then, with a flick of his finger, he would set the clock's hands spinning again. Around and around they would go, and Danny got dizzy just watching them.

"So, why did you come here Daniel?" Clockwork said, and Danny shrugged.

"Why don't you tell me? You already know the answer." He said, swing his legs faster until he spun around and landed on the ground.

"True, but it would be better if you told me. Go ahead and ask your question. But only if you feel you are prepared for the answer." Clockwork said, smiling slightly. He went up to his leathery chair and took a seat, gesturing for Danny to do the same. Danny did gratefully.

"I guess, I'd just like to know…well, you're the master of time right?" He said, and Clockwork smiled amusingly. "To the best of my knowledge." He said, making Danny blush in embarassment.

"If you could, you could change anything you wished in time right?" Danny said, watching as Clockwork twirled his time staff in his hand.

"Once again, yes." Clockwork said patiently.

Danny's brow creased as his voice relayed his confusion and curiousity. "Then why didn't you stop things like the black plague and stuff? The world wars, the Holocaust, all of the bad scars in our history." Danny said, and Clockwork, sighed.

"You sure you want to know?" He said, and Danny nodded firmly.

"When those events occurred, they wiped out a vast number of your people, true. But there were still survivors. That's what I liked about your kind. They were always able to get back up again. They regrouped, they reproduced, and here we are today, with over 600 million people alive." Clockwork said, his eyes distant.

"Then what about him? Why is it that the observants told you to interfere?" Danny said curiously.

"Well, understand this Danny. That creature, locked up now and secure, was destruction itself. This was not like the Holocaust, or World Wars, though the result was similar. When that enemy was created, he destroyed everything. Everything, and everyone. There were a few survivors, true, but eventually they would die, making humans, and any other life on Earth extinct." Clockwork said, and sighed at Danny's depressed face.

"Then why let me live? Wouldn't it have been easier to just get rid of me then and there?" Danny said, his face down.

"Well it might've been easier, but it wasn't the right thing for me to do. Danny, I will let you in on a little secret. When you were born, and I saw what would happen to you, I was truly surprised to find out that you would become a hero. That you wouldn't be like Plasmius. When I found out what was to happen in your near future, I didn't like it. And it wasn't because all those people died, and your planet was destroyed, no. It was because when that happened, you were never given a chance in it. You always believed in second chances, and you even were willing to give your archenemy one!"

"You did not choose to gain your powers. They happened because you chose to try and help you parents. You chose to be a hero after that too. You chose to use them for the right reasons. You did not choose to lose your family and friends. You did not choose to be put under Vlad's care. You did not choose to have him take away your ghost half. And you didn't choose to become that creature. When given the chance, you wanted to do good. But when the choice wasn't yours to make, you became evil. It wasn't your fault, and thus, I wasn't able to condemn you. You were completely innocent and free of charges." Clockwork said, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair, clearly satisfied at Danny's astonished face.

"Then why did the observants want me gone?" Danny said, scratching his head.

"The observants do not know what is to come. They watch time true, but only what I allow them to see. They did demand to see your future, because in truth, they are scared of you. At that point you would have the power to come into the ghost zone and crush them as well. They did not approve of you being alive, because you threatened their very existence. When they saw your possible future, they thought it a perfect chance to destroy you, so you would never gain the power to destroy them. But if you were innocent…" 

"…you had no reason to destroy me!" Danny finished, and Clockwork smiled, nodding.

"So you pretty much cheated them!" Danny said, throwing his hands up in the air, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

"I'd like to call it finding a loophole, but yes, in a way, I cheated them." Clockwork said, and waved the boy off.

"It's time for you to go. You're sister is getting anxious." Clockwork said, and Danny nodded. He turned, but then stopped and turned back around.

"Hey Clockwork?" "Yes?" "Thanks." 

"You're welcome." Clockwork said. He watched as Danny flew off, and smiled, polishing his time staff.

"You have a bright future ahead of you Danny. One full of choices that you can make yourself. I know what you will do. But then again, I know everything.

**FIN**

**Just had to do that! So this is my explanation of what happened. Feel free to disagree! This is just my opinion!**

**Artgirl4**


	15. Wishes Are For Punks

Wishes Are For Punks

**Wishes Are For Punks**

The class screamed. It was to be expected, but he still hadn't had enough time to prepare. Not that there was much he could do. He was tied up. With **ectoplasmic rope.**

Everyone was tied with it. Danny thanked the heavens that it wasn't just him. But that still wasn't very good.

A green mist poured into the dark screaming children-filled room. That encouraged more screaming. Danny made out the figure before it fully formed. It was Desiree.

Danny sighed as everyone watched his moving ropes brought him up to the ceiling. He then gritted his teeth in pain as the ropes proceeded to electrify him. A scream escaped his lips, and everyone looked up at him.

There was silence except for Danny's screaming as the kids and teacher looked on helplessly with concern.

Eventually it stopped and Danny's head fell down panting as he tried to regain his breath.

"Hello child." Desiree's voice said as she found her way to Danny. She lifted up his chin with one finger and he glared at her viciously. He was sweating from the shocks. Everyone continued to watch.

"Hello Desiree." He said murderiously, and everyone gasped at the fact he knew her name.

"Danny Phantom will save us!" Paulina cried randomly and Desiree chuckled, filling everyone with despair.

"Oh he will, will he? Does he seem to be here now?" Desiree said, and the people started to panic.

"Leave them alone Desiree!" Danny called, and Desiree floated up to him again.

"Oh and why should I? You're stuck here and there's nothing you can do to stop me! No one can get in or out of this room! You cannot ruin my plans like the last times whelp!" She said, and snapped. The ropes started to electrify him again.

Everyone's mouths were open so wide, a toad could've hopped in and out. Since when did Danny Fenton foil ghosts' plans?

"It-doesn't-matter-no-one-will-make a-wish!" Danny shouted in between his grunts and screamed as the ropes squeezed and shocked.

"Oh? How can you be so sure about that?" Desiree said, and Dash grinned.

"If you grant wishes, then here's a wish for you! I wish Danny Phantom was here to kick your butt!" He wished and Desiree smiled. Danny's eyes widened and he yelled "NOOO!" But it was too late.

"So you have wished it, so it shall be!" And as everyone watched, a fog wrapped around Danny's body. And as the fog disappeared, the figure wrapped in ecto-ropes was now Danny Phantom.

"You shouldn't have done that." He whispered, and when he looked up his eyes were completely green menacingly.

"YAHHHHH!" Danny yelled, and broke the green ropes. Desiree's eyes went wide and she yelled as she was pushed back by the force into the wall. Smoke poured into the room, covering everyone's vision.

"I wish you would go into the Fenton Thermos!" Danny shouted into the mist, and Desiree crossed her arms. Do I even have to continue?

When it cleared, everyone watched as Danny Phantom capped the thermos. He then walked up to Dash, and no one made any move to stop him. Danny lifted Dash up by his collar and brought his face to his.

"Take my advice. Never make a wish." Danny spat, and dropped Dash down on the floor. Dash stared as Danny stomped through the rubble and intangibly through the wall. No one said a thing.

**So I know there wasn't much to it, but I just thought it might be interesting!**

**Artgirl4**


	16. Why'd You Do It? Part 3

Why'd You Do It

**Why'd You Do It? Part 3**

"Hello this is Lance Thunder, Action News. I'm here with more than a dozen reporters outside FentonWorks, home of Madeline, Jack, and Jazz Fenton. It is also home to Danny Fenton A.K.A., Danny Phantom. Here is the scene from earlier today."

(Fight video plays)

"The Red Huntress, whose identity is unknown recently took Danny Fenton into the house, and has not come out. Along with them was Samantha Manson and Tucker Foley, friends of Mr. Fenton."

"Madeline and Jack Fenton went into the house less than an hour ago, and have barricaded the door, preventing anyone from getting out or in. It is unknown whether Danny is hurt or not."

"Here is what some of our witnesses have to say:"

"Well, I was going to the gym to work out, and then my hero Phantom starts fighting this vampire thing! It was so cool, so I stayed to watch the entire fight, not run home to my Mom like the nerds do. And then Fenturd-I mean, Fenton comes crashing down, only to be caught by the Red Huntress, and I was like, whoa! So…yeah."

"Danny Fenton was Danny Phantom? I was like, OMG!! But who cares, he is so hot! So back of chicka's he's mine!"

"Fentonmeister is Phantommeister? Weird. So far as I know, that dude has always been a wimp!"

"And there you have it Harriet! What is happening in that house, no one knows but we continue to-wait! Someone's coming out!

"WOULD YOU PEOPLE JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE!!" came Valerie's cry as she was bombarded with reporters. The second the camera's flashes cleared from her eyes, she was blinded with another set.

Everyone was silence, if only for a moment by Valerie's cry.

"Look, this is all I have to say. In truth, I did not like Danny Phantom. But I have come to realize everything was a misunderstanding, and if you should too. You watched the tape, and everything that was yelled out in the video was real. You think it's not? Oh I'm sorry, how about you go and ask Danny himself? Oh wait, that's right, he's in a coma FROM THE GASH GOING FROM HIS WAIST ALL THE WAY UP TO HIS SHOULDER!! And that's not all! He's got 3 cracked ribs, a broken leg, a bleeding temple, and a few teeth loose. If it's so obviously an act then why isn't he waking up huh?? Right now, the people inside that building are trying to wake him up and if anybody interferes you'll have to deal with me! Don't even try to enter. I've got weapons and I ain't afraid to use them!" The huntress shouted, and with that, clicked her heels together and sped away on her board.

"And there you have it. Danny Fenton is inside the house and currently in a coma. I will be sure to update as soon as possible. Back to you Harriet."

"Thanks Lance. It has been reported that both the Manson's house and Foley's house are under current lockdown, and none of our investigators have been able to talk to it's occupants. For more on this issue, go to www. action news. com/dannyphantomfenton. This is Harriet Chin, Action news.

**So I know it was short, but I thought I would include it. Man that was fun! And Phantom Fury? Right now I don't have any Danny Valerie, or if you meant danny vlad fics. I'll post them when I think of something!**

**Artgirl4**


	17. Power

Power

**Power**

They were all in city hall. All of them.

Everyone in Amity Park was taking refuge in the giant building, afraid out of their wits.

Danny was afraid too, but only for their safety. He knew what was happening outside. Everyone did.

The mayor had positioned cameras all over the city. Now they filmed wreckage and destruction, as the ghosts rampaged all over Amity Park.

The ghosts had came, all of them together, banded in an effort to bring the town to its knees. Everyone was scared, and in their desperation, came to city hall.

The Fenton's had brought a ghost shield, and it was over the building now, the faint green surrounding them their only protection.

No one could get out, and no ghosts could get in. Danny was stuck inside, unable to intervene.

But at that moment, someone was given the permission to make an interference, even though he had only done so before once.

A white portal came through thin air, and a being stepped through it. His staff with a clock on the top ticked, allowing his presence to be known. The spirit made his way through the crowds, ignoring the stares, some shrill shrieks, and any green beams aimed for him. He disappeared and then reappeared, continuing on his way.

Finally, after the sixth beam he sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his temples.

"Madeline, please refrain from doing this. I come peacefully."

"I don't believe you. You're a ghost, and those are your friends out there, destroying our town this very second." Maddie spat, Jack nodding behind her.

"Those are not my friends. I am Clockwork, Master of All Time. I must tell you it is annoying to keep stopping and then starting time like this. So if you would allow me to continue." Clockwork said, and he actually made his way over to them. But before he could ask what Clockwork wanted from them, he shifted so that he was addressing someone else.

"Hello Danny."

"Clockwork."

Danny said, and Clockwork smiled warmly. No one said anything to interrupt. Their jaws were still on the floor at that moment. Both ghost and child seemed too familiar with each other.

"Why are you here? I though you weren't allowed to interfere."

"The council requested it. This war is not their idea, and they don't approve of it. They need your help."

"Of course." Danny bowed his head in submission, and followed Clockwork.

"WAIT DANNY!" Maddie said, pulling her son back behind her. Danny gave a yelp of surprise at the sudden pull, and gazed up at his armed mother.

"What the heck do you think you're doing young man? Going with a ghost! Are you nuts?" Jack said, Maddie trying to fire at the dodging ghost.

"Oh I grow tire of this. Danny please explain to them." Clockwork said, and Danny was trying. He started to talk, but the parents were to busy ignoring him. People were screaming and running, only to bump into another person and/or object.

"STOP!" Danny roared. Everyone immediately ceased, and looked at Danny. His face was completely calm, almost like he was in a trance. His eyes were set in determination, but what confused everyone was the fact that his blue irises had green mixed in.

"I must go." Danny said calmly, nodding to Clockwork, who once again began to escort them.

Maddie and Jack stood stunned, gaping at the boy.

Danny kept on looking ahead, but right before he was going to enter the portal, Maddie came to her senses. She quickly dove for him, but it was too late. Danny went through.

Maddie screamed, and tried to get through the portal. She couldn't. Each time she fell through it like there was nothing there.

"I have to go as well, but I will allow you to watch. I suggest you do so closely." Clockwork said, and he too swooped into the portal.

Everyone gathered around the portal, spooked by the events and curious as well.

"Hello Danny." Came a voice. Danny turned to a bunch of ghosts covered in cloaks, preventing anyone from seeing their faces.

"Good afternoon Elder." And everyone was surprised to see Danny bow.

"More like a bad afternoon. Those fools! I cannot believe how insolent those creatures can be! But we cannot go against our people like that, we might have a rebellion." Danny said nothing.

"What must I do?" Danny asked quietly, and the Elder shifted.

"We will embed our power in you. It is up to you to stop this mess from becoming a catastrophe." The elders said, and Danny nodded.

"You know what to do." He said, and touching Danny lightly on the shoulder, he vanished, along with the other elders.

Danny was along in the white room. He took a deep breath.

"Okay Fenton, you can do this. You've done it before. Simply call it. Remember their lives are on the line." Danny said to himself, oblivious to the gasps on the other side of the portal.

Danny's figure went stiff, his face hardened. He touched his temples.

Green energy began to form around the tips of his fingers, and as he took them away, green ectoplasm floated in the air. Danny took his fingers and made a circle. The green energy stayed in the circle, and Danny-taking another deep breath-he stuck his fingers-in a way that you put your fingers to make a pretend gun-through the green circle. All at once it glowed green, but Danny kept his hands and arms inside.

Danny's face was now contorted, his teeth gritted, and he released a small cry of pain. Maddie threw herself into Jack's arms as Danny's cries became louder, and longer.

Finally Danny's shouting ceased. His arms, still in the green energy, went limp, and the green energy slowly started to wrap around his wrists. It thinned out, and twisted around his body, catching it from falling as Danny went unconscious.

The green energy brought Danny's body higher and higher, holding him gently. Soon he was floating incredibly high, that the drop would've killed him. Maddie's eyes were full of concern and fear.

Danny's clothes rippled, like there was a wave of air going past him. He bobbed there for a while, the green energy twisting and turning around him gracefully.

Finally, everything seemed to stop. The green energy stopped moving….and started surging. It whipped around Danny, faster and faster, until only a faint outline of the knocked out boy could be seen. And then, as if by magic, the green energy actually went **into** him. People screamed, Maddie gasped as well as Jack.

And then Danny was floating there. He had a white aura surrounding him, and it flared brightly, close to a blinding light.

His eyes were green, but no one seemed to notice that.They were too busy looking at the rest of him. An electric green X was going across his torso, and the rest of him was wrapped in a black jumpsuit. His feet were white, and his hair-though still black-floated up, as if he had just had a balloon rubbed on it all, except it looked nicer.

.He smiled suddenly, and flew through the white portal. The crowd parted for him like the red sea. Maddie came to give him a big hug, but a green shield wrapped around him, preventing her. He didn't even notice.

In fact, Danny wasn't doing anything. The shield had come up on its own. And he wasn't looking at anyone, noticing anything. He walked past everyone, and then, as if by magic, passed **through** the walls. The ghost shield blew up as he walked past.

Everyone's attention was directed to the cameras. They watched, sector by sector, as Danny lifted his hands. The ectoplasm came searing out, and wrapped each of the ghosts up, and they vanished. Danny went on like this, his face still expressionless except for that small smile, until the whole town was cleared.

Danny had saved them all.

When Danny landed in the building, everyone was cheering. They stopped as he was lifted up into the air.

Danny's eyes closed and his body went limp once more, and his smile was overtaken by a frown. Slowly, and gradually, his aura started to diminish. But Danny's frown grew, and in a split second, he was screaming as the green withdrew from his body.

The green twirled once again around his body, Then, it all lifted, gathering in a spinning ball. The ball lifted even higher from Danny's body, and, spinning even faster, shrunk down, until it was nothing.

Danny's frown started to turn upwards, until it was a small peaceful smile. Danny's bobbing and floating form slowly descended, and Maddie held her arms out. Quietly, Danny landed into Maddie arms with a gentle thump.

No one spoke as Danny's eyes fluttered and opened. Finding everyone staring at him, he grinned weakly. His voice came in a raspy whisper that everyone had to strain their necks to hear.

"So…how'd I do?"

**FIN**

**Finally! A drabble I'm actually happy with! But when I say bobbing, I mean it's like where the air keeps on making ripples flow through his body. You know what I mean? I'm trying really hard to be clear. So I woke up this morning with it, so I though "Why not?" And posted it. Hope you like it!**

**Artgirl4**


	18. A Powerful Conversation

Takes place after Phantom Planet

**Takes place after Phantom Planet**

**A Powerful Conversation**

The figure looked at the starry sky from his perch on the building. He had swung from his tall tower to reach this low place, with just the right view. He took in the fresh night air, and let out a great big breath.

Stars filled the sky, twinkling beautifully. The sky itself was a beautiful luxurious deep blue, with a crescent moon hanging just in the middle.

"A perfect night huh?" A voice said, breaking the silence. The figure that had been sitting peacefully, enjoying the cool breeze and night jumped up quickly, completely alert with his metal staff in hand.

"Relax. I mean no harm. I didn't come to hurt you." Said the figure, and the boy, the Teen Titan, squinted. The figure was perched about 4 feet away from him, on the building, sitting down calmly. His body was covered in a blue cloak, just like the night sky. He blended right into the shadows, but Robin still should've been able to sense him. Why was he so light as to not make a sound?

"A beautiful sky that is. So many beautiful nights like this. But it's special to share it with someone." The man said, his deep voice soothing. Robin saw a glimpse of white, and watched closely the green eyes that were staring at him.

"If you think that's going to work on me, think again." Robin spat, and the man chuckled.

"I don't mean for it to work on you. I don't come here to attack this city-god knows there's enough of that these days-I just wanted to observe."

"Observe what?" Robin said menacingly again, but the man just shook it off. Robin steamed.

"Answer me!" He said, and he brought his metal rod down on the man. But instead of making contact, it was caught solidly in the man's silver glove.

"I already told you I'm not here to fight you." The man said patiently again, and he pushed the metal rod back into Robin's arms.

"Then what are you here for?" Robin asked again, this time neither meanly or kindly.

"To observe." The man once again said vaguely. Then he laughed full out, surprising Robin.

"I know you're probably frustrated with me. I apologize. I can be quite a handful sometimes. But if you must know, I came to observe the actions of your team." The man said, and Robin's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing? Evaluating us? Calculating our moves and weaknesses?" Robin said, and the man laughed once more, making Robin increasingly angry.

"No. And I understand your caution, but you do not have to be afraid. Or concerned." He fixed, seeing Robin's close-to-exploding face.

"What is with you? You think you're all high and mighty?" Robin said, becoming incredibly agitated.

"No I don't. And before you start thinking with your fists, hear me out. Robin, if say anyone, let's say…Starfire was in trouble, but she did not wish for your help, what would you do?" The man asked innocently, and Robin glared at him. But then he sighed and calmed down a little.

"I'd save her anyway." He said simply, and Robin caught a glimpse of white teeth as the figure smiled widely.

"Good answer. I've seen what you do Robin. You have every right to be proud of yourself. You've got a great team and they've got a great leader. But don't let it get to your head. You'd be surprised by how many downfalls I've seen just from a big ego." The man said jokingly, and he laughed. And for some reason Robin chuckled as well. He went stiff, then once again, relaxed. He plopped down in his seat again and looked at the sky. If this guy did throw a punch, he could take it.

The two sat in silence for a while, but this time it was Robin's turn to break the silence.

"So is that your tactic?" He said quietly, and the man raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

"Trying to butter me up with compliments." Robin said, completely ignoring the man's amused and never faltering smile.

"Hmm, for a second I thought we were past that. Guess not." He said, and Robin nodded.

"Well Robin, it's time I go. But I saw you today, earlier. Don't act surprised you didn't see me, not many people do. Mostly because I don't want them to. But I was there when you fought Terra. I was there when you fought the Master of Games. I was there when Raven and Starfire switched bodies and fought the Puppet King. And I was there in the mall when Starfire bought her fifth pair of shoes that week."

"Tell Beastboy that Terra will come back, but to be patient and understanding when she does. Tell Raven that destinies are changeable. Tell Starfire that her love is her greatest gift. Tell Cyborg that he is a man, not a boy. And remember when I say this: You are Robin. Leader of the Teen Titans. One of the greatest heroes I ever had the pleasure of meeting. But also the one who has the most to learn. And the most to offer."

The wind seemed to wrap around his body, whipping his white hair and cloak around. Robin spotted the man's chest and committed it to memory. And then the man vanished. And so did Robin's consciousness.

--LINE BREAK--

"AHHH!" Robin shouted, shooting up from his bed. Wait his bed? How did he get in it? He didn't remember.

Robin removed the covers and got up. He got dressed and sat on his bed to think. Then something clicked and he zoomed to the kitchen.

Starfire was..."cooking" and Raven was sitting in a chair, reading a black book. Cyborg was also cooking and Beastboy was standing by him, looking over his shoulder and commenting on how ridiculous meat was.

Everyone paused as Robin came into the room and started tearing things apart, apparently looking for something. He cried out in relief as he found a pen and paper, and quickly took to sitting down and writing something. Needless to say everyone was looking over his shoulder.

"Hey Cyborg, does this look familiar to you?" Robin said, and lifted up a piece of paper. Cyborg's eyes went wide and he dropped his plate of bacon. The other Titans eyes went wide as well and even Raven was dumbfounded.

"What do you mean DO I KNOW THIS?? OF COURSE I KNOW WHAT THIS IS!! HOW DID YOU DRAW IT??" Cyborg screamed, and Robin had to clutch the sofa to keep from getting blown away.

"There was this guy I was talking too. He had this on his chest. It's some sort of characterized D-WHOA!" He said, as practically all the Titans flew onto him.

"HE talked to you?? HIM?? WHAT DID HE SAY??" Everyone but Raven said. But Raven's eyes were wide and she didn't tell them to stop.

Quickly Robin relayed the whole conversation while the Titans listened closely like little kids listening to a story book. At the end of it Cyborg snatched Robin by the cape and shook him.

"You talked to HIM like that?? HIM?? And he didn't hurt you?? Have you no dignity??" Cyborg yelled, and Beastboy nodded, at a loss for words for once.

"WHO IS HIM??" Robin finally shouted, and everyone was silent, staring at him.

"You…You don't know?" Beastboy said. Robin shook his head.

"My Mom used to tell me stories about him." Cyborg admitted, sitting down on the couch in shock.

"The doom patrol had a meeting with him once. I was sick and couldn't come. I wanted to see him though. Badly." Beastboy said, sitting down too.

"The Tamaraneans felt the loss of your planet when it turned intangible. We were shaken to the core of our being by that." Starfire said, shuddering.

"Even the people of Azarath were mystified by the power in his being, that continued to grow every day." Raven said, her calm demeanor back.

"But who is he?" Robin asked, and they all gaped once more.

"You…You really don't know? Everyone knows of him!"

"Well I don't. I grew up secluded in a bat cave. Not exactly your latest news hotspot." Robin said frustratingly.

Suddenly a black aura surrounded book dropped into his lap. It had the same symbol he had drawn on it.

"Read it." Raven commanded. Robin was gawking at her tone, but the others just nodded firmly. With that, they got up and left the room. So Robin looked at the book and opened it. And he read. And read.

Robin read in the Kitchen. He read on the couch. He read in his room. In fact, he didn't talk to anyone that day. He just read the book.

Robin learned about the man. The one named Danny Phantom. And he learned about how that man, one of the most powerful beings on Earth, saved it 20 years ago, and countless other times. And he learned, how that man, had spoken to him on the building the night before.

**FIN**

**So what do you think? Hey guys I'm sorry but I won't be posting for another week or so. I'm leaving on Saturday to go to vacation and no internet or computers. Sorry!! Hoped you liked this one!**


	19. Why'd You Do It? Part 4

Why'd You Do It

**Why'd You Do It? Part 4**

_Where am I?_

…

_Sam?_

_Tucker?_

_Mom?_

_Dad?_

_Help!_

_**Danny…**_

_Who's that?_

_Help!_

_**Danny… we need you Danny…**_

_**Help us…**_

_**We need you…**_

_Where are you? _

_Where am I?_

_How can I help you guys if I can't help myself?_

_**Danny…**_

_**Come back to us Danny…**_

_**We need you…**_

_I'm trying! What's going on?_

_**We need you Danny…**_

_**Help us…**_

_I'M TRYING!_

_**Danny…please…**_

_**We need you…**_

_Where are you guys?_

_**Are you going to leave us here Danny?**_

_What? No! Where are you?_

_**All alone…Help…**_

_**Danny…help us…**_

_**Only you can help us…**_

_**Only you can save us….**_

_**They're coming Danny…**_

_Who's coming? What's going on? _

_**They're coming…**_

_**We need you…**_

_**Wake up Danny…**_

_**Wake up…**_

_**Danny….**_

_**WAKE UP!**_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Danny screamed as he flew up from his bed. He immediately wished he hadn't as his chest throbbed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Screamed Jazz and Tucker, whom had been waiting by his bedside with two chairs pulled up.

"DANNY!! YOU'RE UP! HE'S UP!" Jazz said excitedly, squeezing him until he felt his ribs would pop.

"I'M UP! I'M UP! WHY ARE WE YELLING?" Danny said, trying to breathe at the same time.

"You'vebeenoutforfourdays, ghostsareattacking, MomandDadhavebarricadedourdoor, wehaven'tleftthehouse, Valerie'sgettingoverwhelmes, andeveryoneknowsyoursecret!" Tucker jumbled out.

Fortunately Danny understood every word of it.

Or maybe unfortunately.

"EVERYONE KNOWS MY WHATTA?" He shouted and Jazz and Tucker flinched.

"Your secret." Jazz said quietly, then slapped a hand over his mouth before he could scream again.

"But! Valerie, yes Valerie, talked to them. She actually cleared pretty much everything up with the help of Mom and Dad." She said, lifting her hand off of his mouth.

Danny's look was hard to describe, neither frightened nor angry.

"Mom and Dad…"

"Know…and apologize…about fifty times." Jazz muttered.

"Well then, I guess it's back to work." Danny said changing into his ghost form, he floated up, then cringed clutching his rib case.

"No you can't."

"Yes. I can. I have to." Danny said, and when Tucker tried to tackle him to his bed, he went intangible.

Still clutching his chest, he flew up through the ceiling. He had already registered his broken leg, and he could feel a bandage going up all the way to his shoulder.

_That's going to leave a scar…_

Danny flew through the air intangibly. It didn't take long to spot his first target. Thankfully, he still had the thermos attached with a strap around his arm.

Unfortunately, Valerie was fighting it.

The ghost was a giant oozeball, entirely made of slimy ectoplasm.

Danny watched Valerie fighting it, trying to subdue it. Obviously nothing except weaponry would hurt it.

Danny took both hands and cupped them together. He felt his chest resisting, but he bit his lip to stop from screaming. Making an intensified white ecto-blast he shot the big beam onto the creature, losing his invisibility.

"Danny!" Valerie cried out. The news reporters did as well.

Danny let out a large groan as he grabbed his aching side, but managed a smile at Valerie.

"And here you are playing without me? Can we schedule our game of cat and mouse later, I don't have my hole to hide in."

Valerie understood his message and nodded. Danny grinned, thankful that she wasn't going to go after him.

Then the pain came back stronger than ever, and Danny felt himself losing his stance in the air.

"Whoa there!" Valerie shouted, getting her board underneath him.

"Let's not have you going into a coma a second time okay?" She said, narrowly avoiding the ghost' tentacles.

"Gladly." Danny said, trying not to put pressure on his leg.

He sent one last beam at the ghost then sucked it into his thermos. The people watching the battle cheered, but Danny and Valerie just sped off, finding the other ghosts.

--5 hours later--

Danny and Valerie went intangibly through the wall of his bedroom. Danny then collapsed on the bed, letting out a feeble moan as his ribs ached.

"You really shouldn't have tried to help." Valerie scolded, and Danny scowled.

"You're welcome." Said his muffled voice from the bedsheets.

Valerie rolled her eyes and plopped down next to a sleeping Jazz and Tucker. Soon she was asleep as well. Danny lay on his bed, unable to rest.

There was a knock at the door, and Danny groaned.

"I'll take that as a come in." Came Sam's voice, full of attitude as usual.

Sam slammed the door open and grabbed Danny in a hug. They were both blushing madly when Sam released him.

"Good to know you're awake." She said, sitting down on a chair next to the snoring Tucker.

"Yeah…" Danny said. Both sat in awkward silence.

"Your parents?"

"Mad. Really mad. Then they see you getting superhero credit. Happy. Really happy. And apparently, 'Proud of their daughter for befriending a boy in such desperate need and helping him' quote unquote. Sam said scowling.

Danny laughed, then moaned again when his chest gave a pang of pain.

"That's your own fault you know." Sam said, and he nodded glumly.

"Where are my parents?"

"Still scouring the city, taking down any other ghosts so you won't have to. They're taking it really well." Sam said, and Danny nodded.

"Looks like we're in for some real changes huh?" Danny said, and Sam nodded. She sat on his bed with him and put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically.

"Don't worry about it Danny. Things will change. You'll still have us. We'll still be there to clean up your mistakes. And we'll still be there to kick ghost butt with you. Things will work themselves out eventually. And look on the bright side, with your ribs like that, you probably won't be going to school for quite a while." Danny smiled, and then laughed.

"Yeah, but knowing Mr. Lancer, he'll probably send me my homework or something-…tell me he didn't." Danny said, seeing Sam's face. Slowly she pointed to a corner of his room. Danny groaned as he saw the big pile of books.

"I wonder whether I can get back into that coma…?"

**There you go! I hope you liked the end of Why'd You Do It! I won't be continuing this because if I do I would probably just make it into a whole other story and I don't want to. Until next time!**

**Artgirl4**


	20. Doodling on A Poster

Doodling on A Poster

**Doodling on A Poster**

Valerie felt stupid. No scratch that, what she was doing **was **stupid.

Her father had banned her from going out to stop a ghost attack after she had broken her arm. She was confined to her room, and having completed her homework, was only able to stare at the ceiling, counting the tiles.

But even that **he** could mess up. Sure Valerie had put up the poster herself, but it was still annoying to see that big stupid picture of a smiling Danny Phantom. Usually she would thro darts or other various objects at the stupid thing, but with her throwing arm broken, it continued to smile, mocking her.

Finally out of a bubbling anger, Valerie had ripped the poster down, crumpling it into a ball and throwing it at the wall.

5 minutes later of staring at the crumpled paper ball opposite of her she dragged herself up and grabbed the poster. She then walked slowly back to her bed and flopped onto it.

Then commenced 10 more minutes worth of throwing the paper at the ceiling and catching it again. Valerie felt beside herself with boredom and finally uncrumpled the paper. She almost repeated herself when she saw that maddening smile, but controlled herself.

She grabbed a pen from her desk and started chewing the cap, an unfortunate habit that had started a while back with the toughening home-works.

Valerie twirled the pen in her finger, then threw it up into the air, catching it again and again. Then she missed and the pen dropped onto the poster, leaving a small drop of ink on his nose.

Valerie grinned at the drop's placement then almost laughed out loud. The drop was on the middle of his nose, making the illusion that the ghost teen actually had acne.

Unfortunately, the poster was laminated, and Valerie knew the ink wouldn't stick.

It…Wouldn't…stick.

Valerie suddenly got an idea. A stupid ridiculous idea, but who would know? She got up and grabbed a pink, blue, green, black, and red pen. She grabbed a piece of towel paper and stationed everything on her bed next to the poster.

Valerie amused herself for the next 20 minutes by drawing funny little things on Phantom's face. First she blackened some of his teeth, then put a red bandana and eye-patch on his eye. She laughed at the picture perfect pirate then wiped it off.

She put lipstick on his lips and blush on his cheeks next. She extended his hair and made what she could see as Phantom's sister. She even added eye shadow!

Valerie then decided to try stuff with his hair. First she put pink dye in it, then blue. Then she made it completely green. Finally she blackened it completely.

_Funny…that looks like Danny's…_

Valerie thought. Then she shook it from her head. So what if it was just as messy? Most boys mess up their hair! And she couldn't possibly compare sweet Danny to icy Phantom.

Besides, he needs a tan. Valerie said, and quickly she shaded in his skin, making it only a slightly darker shade.

Valerie had a deep sense of foreboding, just looking at it. But she couldn't stop her fingers as she grabbed the blue pen and colored in Phantom's eyes.

Valerie stared at the poster completely frozen. Was she going crazy?

She tore through her drawers and found a white pencil. She quickly made the adjustments to the clothes and then looked into her desk. Finally she found it. A picture they had taken of both of them in a photo booth.

Quickly she grabbed the photo and brought it next to the poster. And she just knew.

Danny Phantom, when made a few differences to, could've been Danny Fenton's twin. There was no mistaking it.

Could they be related? Maybe that was why it was **Danny** Phantom. If he was a relative of the Fenton's Danny might've been named after him. Could that be possible? But the Fenton's hunted ghosts! Especially Danny Phantom!

WHAT WAS GOING ON??

Or maybe…maybe what? Why did Valerie feel like she was missing something? Some vital link that connected everything and made it make sense.

She looked at the poster. Danny Phantom looked like Danny Fenton. It was almost like they were the same person.

Were they?

No.

But Maybe…No. What if…No. No. NO!

Danny wasn't dead. Phantom was. He had ghost powers. He went invisible, went through stuff, was evil. Danny wasn't dead. He wasn't. He couldn't be. No!

He wasn't. Valerie knew it! He couldn't be. So what if Phantom exhibited human-like qualities and was different from other ghosts!

So what if Danielle-Danielle!

No!

Valerie had completely forgotten about Danielle. But now she couldn't. And now she couldn't say no.

Danny…he could be like Danielle. He could be just like her. He could be just like Vlad. But Vlad was evil! Danielle wasn't! Phantom was! No! Was he?

Everything was getting jumbled in her head. But now there was too much a possibility that Danny was Phantom, Valerie felt there was no denying it. Why would Phantom be different where Plasmius and Danielle weren't? It was simple. He wasn't.

Phantom was Fenton.

She had figured it out.

And all this.

'Cause she doodled on a poster.

**I know! The ending leaves something to be desired, but I didn't know how to end it any other way! I'm Sorry!!**


	21. Hidden Agenda

Steps

**Hidden Agenda**

Steps.

…

Whose?

Where…Where am I? Maddie asked herself, looking around. She was sitting in a chair. Tied to a chair. Her mouth was gagged tight. Her wrists were bound and she couldn't move.

How did I get here?

Maddie realized suddenly that she wasn't thinking clearly. She must've been knocked out. Slowly her mind adjusted, and everything was understood.

Someone invaded her house! What happened? How did they get in and knock her out? And Jack…Jazz…Danny! He didn't have any training in this stuff! Jazz fought a little with the ghost fighter 2000, but not Danny! Where were they?

Maddie looked around frantically, or as frantically as she could with herself secured. Practically what she could identify as everyone in Amity Park was sitting, bound and gagged. She recognized the place as City Hall.

Maddie saw the covered faces of Jack and Jazz, both awake and alert. Everyone was. But where was Danny?

Then she saw him. Danny was on the stage, also bound and gagged. But it appeared that he was drugged. His head was limp, facing down.

And still those consistent pestering steps!

A ghost walked onto the stage. Maddie recognized him and felt a deep sense of foreboding, along with searing hatred. It was the Wisconsin Ghost.

"Well, well, well," The ghost said mockingly, matching every step as he walked up to the boy.

Everyone's attention was turned to the ghost, watching with interest and fear as he tauntingly used one finger to pick up Danny's chin and turn his head up. He was met with glaring eyes that startled everyone. Danny wasn't known to do that kind of thing.

"Here's the almighty ghost hunter eh? So great and powerful he's tied up and gagged. Why don't you show us your power now?"

What the heck is he talking about? Maddie wondered. Danny didn't fight ghosts! That was well known when he cowered at his school recently. Other faces betrayed the confusion.

"Oh that's right. THEY. DON'T. KNOW." He said, putting emphasis on certain words. "Well then why don't you show them?" The ghost said with a sneer. He removed the gag and stepped back just in time to dodge flying spit that Danny had aimed at him.

"Well that was honorable Plasmius. Going into these people houses and sneaking up on them. Sneaking up on me. What, can't fight your battles fairly?" Danny spat and Plasmius flinched obviously irritated about that comment. Danny smirked triumphantly.

"Watch your mouth child. I might just blast it off." Vlad said, pressing his face close to Danny's.

"Fight like a ghost Plasmius. Or are you afraid?" Danny talked back, and Vlad withdrew smiling cruely.

"Or I could just do this little badger." Vlad said, and he blasted Danny. Danny's chair tumbled, him along with it. Vlad had blasted at his chest where the ropes did not hang. A green smoking mark was left there, and Danny's shirt was torn, revealing muscle.

Maddie shook her head to make sure she was seeing right. A bit of blood dripped from the wound and Maddie tried to turn her head away.

"Pathetic. You take me down like this, but don't dare to try to fight me for real. That would be too low for you." Danny spat, completely ignoring the wound.

Plasmius seethed, and with one swift motion cut the ropes binding the boy. Danny stood just as swiftly in one fluid motion, so it looked like he had never sat down.

Vlad ducked expectedly as Danny's leg cleared the air where his head had been. Vlad lifted his head in a sneer, floating above where Danny couldn't reach him.

"Release them! Now!" Danny said, gesturing to the hostages. He didn't even glance at his parents, though he shared a knowing gaze with Jazz. Almost imperceptibly she nodded. He nodded subtly back.

He turned to the newly dubbed "Plasmius".

He was met with a smirking face.

"Now Daniel, you don't actually think I did this without a plan did you? I'm not here to expose you! That would be more of my undoing than anything! Of course not!" Plasmius said, throwing his head back and cackling.

Plasmius grinned in triumph at the surprised face Danny made as he staggered back. Once again though, he sank into the calm and collected demeanor that seemed so undanny-like to the audience.

"Then what is your plan?" Danny asked, and Vlad laughed again.

"Really, I thought you were smarter than that! Think Daniel! If these people weren't kidnapped as an audience, what were they kidnapped as?" Plasmius hinted.

Danny's face lit up, but not happily.

"They're hostages." He stated. There was no doubt in his voice.

"Exactly." Vlad stated crisply.

"You work so hard to protect this pitiful town, whom better than to use as bait than them." Vlad continued, jabbing a finger at the captives.

Maddie eye's widened. Why would this ghost need to bait Danny?

"If you don't help me I **will** kill them." Vlad stated, his hand lighting up in a prepared ecto-blast.

"Starting with your father." Plasmius said, smiling unpleasantly. Danny stared at him evenly, then glanced at his mother. His eyes gave no sign of emotion. Maddie felt a twang of pain in her heart. Danny turned back to Vlad.

"What about my mother. I know she's important to you." Danny stated and Maddie coughed beneath her gag, doubling over. Danny's tone had told her all she needed to know. And as the author, you can trust me when I say she REALLY didn't want to know it.

"I didn't say I'd hurt all of them. But your sister and father will definitely be on the list. So…what will it be?" Vlad said, now juggling the ecto-blast.

"I…you won't let them go." Danny stated, and Vlad for a second faltered. His ecto-blast ball landed on the stage, narrowly missing Danny. Danny didn't even flinch.

"You-You insolent boy! I'll show you what happens when you underestimate me!" Plasmius shouted, and gathering a big ecto-blast, he shot it straight for Jack. Danny's head turned, Maddie tried to scream, and Jack tried to suck in his gut.

The beam hit the mark, but not the right body. Danny went flying over his father's head and into the wall, slamming hard. Maddie tried to yell, and found tears spilling down her eyes. She glared at Plasmius with all her hatred and struggled against her binds.

Jack also was trying to speak, but found himself unable.

Danny let out a small groan, but managed to bring himself up once more. A big smoking hole was in his left side, and blood was gathering on his shirt. But Danny stood tall and defiant.

"I was waiting for this Plasmius." Danny stated, moving slowly around as Vlad eyed him.

"You told the vulture ghosts to drug me and take me here, and make sure I had no ecto-weaponry." Danny was making his way slowly to Maddie, and Vlad was still looking at him dumbly.

"You forgot about regular weaponry." Danny whispered, whipping out a pocket knife. In one motion, he slashed Maddie's ropes, and before she could even react, took her ectogun.

Vlad was already swooping down to meet Danny, but he got an ecto-blast in the face.

"Why you-!" Vlad found himself unable to speak as about 10 ecto-blasts per second tried to reach him. Danny was skilled with the weaponry, but Vlad still had inhuman speed. They were still thoroughly matched though, as a few grazed Plasmius's cheeks.

Maddie stood up as well and tried to get to her weapons, but Danny shouted first.

"No! He's going to try and use the others! Untie them!' He shouted, managing to throw his pocketknife to her. Maddie made her way down the row, trying to release the people. She found herself barely able, as the rope was thick. How Danny had done it so fast for her was beyond her.

A few well-aimed blasts were going for the people, but Danny used the ecto-gun in a way never before seen. He shot beams at the ecto-blasts, and both counteracted each other, the two shots fizzling out before reaching their victim.

Danny did this while dodging, managing to multi-task efficiently.

One time he managed to get to Maddie, toss her the ecto-gun, while at the same time grabbing the pocketknife. Maddie, once catching the gun, was able to immediately mask her confusion and start blasting, as Danny ran down the rows, cutting faster than thought possible.

Maddie maneuvered as Danny had, blocking blasts also in his likeness, but when she almost tripped, Danny was suddenly there, pulling her up to her feet and switching their weapons.

Maddie still saw not a glimpse of emotion on her son's face, and knew he was doing so purposely. She started to understand that there was a possibility he understood his emotion could be used against him in times like this.

Soon, almost everyone was untied when Danny felt his human limitations being exerted far too greatly. His legs turned to lead, and his face was flushed and sweaty.

"You can't keep this up Daniel." Vlad stated, smiling.

"Neither can you." He snapped back. Both had temporarily paused. Plasmius was also panting, his ecto-blast down to a smaller quarter sized beam. His face was overconfident, but his body language said otherwise.

"We call a truce, here and now. Leave and never threaten the people of Amity again. Next time I won't be so lenient." Danny said. Vlad squared his shoulders and cleared his throat.

"You are too self-confident Daniel. The next time we meet, I will not be so lenient either, and the next time, we will have a true fight, man to man."

Danny understood his hidden message and nodded. _Ghost to ghost._

"Beware my power Daniel. Believing too much in your own will be your downfall." Vlad murmured, sneering, and he faded away, leaving the people.

Danny stared at the empty space where Vlad had floated, and murmured as well,

"and so it shall apply to you as well. Vlad." He said quietly, then he turned around and walked straight to his mother, still untying people. When she saw him standing before her, she immediately stood up, stared at him, and took him into her arms.

Danny finally allowed emotion to seem into his face as he hugged his mother back, the worried and concerned lines etched onto his face.

"He's gone. Don't worry." Maddie reassure him.

"No. He'll never be truly gone." Danny whispered, in a tone quite unlike him. But, everything that had occurred today had not been truly like him at all.

"I don't understand any of this Danny. But perhaps…that's the point." Maddie said, trying to read her son's face. It betrayed nothing.

"Why don't you unty the rest?" Maddie said. Danny sighed and took the glinting knife. Maddie stared at what had been a harmless, coming-of-age birthday present for her son.

Danny moved quickly behind the rows, never pausing as he switched the blade between hands, cutting the ropes of the people on either side of him.

His faint panting was the only sign of his exhaustion as he gave the knife back to his Mom when finished. But Maddie shook her head and gave the knife back to him. He tried to read her eyes, but she was also good at not betraying emotion, and he slipped the weapon into his pocket without a word.

While everyone was getting their bearings, Danny's friends and his sister ran up and embraced him. Both sister and brother shared a knowing look.

"Let's go home." Jazz said. Danny nodded gratefully, obviously anxious to get out before the people had truly composed themselves.

"Aww….we have to walk!" Jack complained, then, when elbowed from Maddie, plastered on a fake smile, and scooped his son in his arms, insisting on carrying him.

Maddie and her family walked home, and entered the untouched house. Everyone was quiet, and it seemed like they were returning from a long vacation.

But Maddie knew the harsh reality of what had taken place, and her eyes never left her son's side, where blood continued to gather on his shirt.

Maddie knew all too well.

But Maddie didn't know why.

**If I'm lucky, some of you actually noticed my dissapearance! While I am not dead, maimed, hospitalized, or (though my parents have been hinting) under rehabilitation, I am rather exhausted. In all manner of truth, I have had so much cramming, tests, quizzes, etc. For these past few weeks. School is pushing me to my limits, and I actually started this one-shot a month ago!! BAD ARTGIRL4 BAD!! I can promise you though, that when summer does come around, I will be able to write much more frequently. I hope you understand, and once again, I apologize.**

**Artgirl4**


	22. Dani With An I

It was official

**I feel like doing a Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. And if you look in my closet and find a tied-up Butch Hartman, I do not own him either.**

**Dani with an "I"**

It was official. Danny was exhausted.

In fact, his head felt like lead. And apparently today, it was going to act like lead.

Meaning his head never left his desk.

Danny couldn't even lift it up.

Not that he exactly wanted to.

Fortunately, Mr. Lancer got deep into his speech and paid no heed, even though his students weren't exactly listening. At all.

Then it happened.

A ghost flew through the ceiling straight for Danny. Danny noticed in the nick of time and used his body to break the fall of the girl.

Unfortunately, everyone noticed, thanks to the loud sound affects of screaming and desks banging.

"Danny!" The girl said, cuddling up on Danny's shirt.

"Danielle!" Danny said, holding the girl. Danielle's uniform had several shreds in the fabric, but the symbol was still visible.

"I came to warn you! The ghosts are planning a revolution! Their planning on invading the whole town! The Elders send me to get you! We HAVE to go!" Danielle said, trying to stand up. She fell back down.

"No way! You're a mess! Not to mention you're hurt! Come on I'm taking you to the nurse!" He said, gathering her on his back.

"We don't have time Danny! Only you can stop Vlad!" Dani said.

"Mr. Fenton! What is the meaning of this?" Mr. Lancer shouted, and both halfas froze.

As Danny turned, all of the students got a clear view of Dani, seeing her white hair, green eyes, and her suit.

"It's Danny Phantom's little sister!"

Someone called out, and everyone rushed forward. But Dani wasn't going out that easily.

"Stay back!" She warned, an ectoblast coming from her hand over Danny's shoulder.

Everyone stepped back 5 paces.

"Dani! I don't believe that's necessary." Danny scolded. Dani blew her hair out of her face and gave Danny a look.

"Fine. Just don't blast anybody." Danny grudgingly agreed, grumbling.

"Sam. Tuck. Over here." Danny called. Immediately both came over.

"Hey guys!" Dani said waving. Both flinched seeing her ectoblast. Dani saw her hand and smiled sheepishly.

"You guys have the first aid kit?" Danny asked. Both nodded and they got to work.

"What in Moby Dick is going on Mr. Fenton, Ms. Manson, Mr. Foley! Who is that girl?" Mr. Lancer stepped forward, then stepped back as Dani glared at him with her hand glowing.

"Kinda hard to explain Mr. Lancer. Maybe later. All you need to know is this is Dani Phantom."

"With an I!" Dani proudly declared, then with a giggle, "whispered" into Danny's ear.

"Is this the overweight teacher who yells out book titles you told me about?" Everyone overheard and laughed, while Mr. Lancer glared at Danny who in turn glared at Dani.

"That's not possible. There's no way Dani Phantom would be talking to that loser." Dash stated, folding his arms over and nodding his head.

Dani glared, the ectoblast suddenly flaring. This time **Danny** gave her a look. Dani pouted.

"Okay, reality check. Whose wearing the DP Suit?" Dani asked, floating over to Dash, who didn't think to back away (even though everyone else did).

"Well, you are." Dash admitted.

"Who has white hair and glowing green eyes?"

"Um…well you do."

"And who's floating a good foot off the ground without any strings attached nor special affects and body that is not a hologram who can say all of that within one breath?"

"You are."

"So who am I?"

"Dani Phantom?"

"With an I! Tell the scholar what he's won Danny!" Dani said, floating back. Danny sighed, hanging his head while several non A-Listers snickered.

"You know she gets that from you." Sam whispered, Tucker nodding. Both couldn't wipe the grin off their faces when Danny glared at them viciously.

"Okay, as much as I'd like to stay here and chat, it's time to go Danny!" Dani said in a sing-song voice.

Mr. Lancer once again gained courage.

"Mr. Fenton is not allowed to skip school without the permission of a teacher and/or a note from a family member." He declared. Dani stared at him for a second, then her face lit up.

"Okay!" She chirped, and went to Mr. Lancer's desk. Everyone watched in fascination and she opened a drawer, then in one fluid motion, dumped everything out.

Danny's jaw dropped as Dani continued this technique with several drawers, glancing at Mr. Lancer to see him also looking shocked, and also slightly upset.

Finally, Dani found what she was looking for, a pencil and a piece of paper. She settle herself in Mr. Lancer's chair and started to scribble something. However, one hand stayed up the whole time, glowing green.

Dani finished, smiled successfully, and gave the note to a stunned Mr. Lancer.

Mr. Lancer read it out loud.

_"Dear Mr. Lancer, (that is your name right?) please excuse one Danny Fenton from Casper High School, as there is an urgent business he needs to tend to. He will probably not be back for the rest of the day, nor the day after that, and possibly the day after that for recuperation and all that healing junk. Thank you for being so understanding._

_Signed, Dani Phantom"_

Mr. Lancer looked up at Dani and Danny, who was now begging his friends to kill him. He cleared his throat.

"Technically Ms. Phantom, if you recall, Danny has to be excused by a family member." Dani snorted, and suddenly Danny seemed to realize something.

"Well I am his cousin-ooph!" Dani said as Danny flew at her, covering her mouth and looking at the staring students with wide eyes.

"She means I'm like a cousin to her! Ha! Ha! Good one Dani!" Danny quickly covered, and he gave a meaningful look to Sam and Tucker. Sam suddenly elbowed Tucker and they too went, "Ha! Good one!"

"Well thanks for letting me go anyway Mr. Lancer!" Danny hastily said, and with that, rushed out of the room with a surprised Dani, Sam, and Tucker tucked under his arm, whispering to Dani furiously,

"When we get home, I am teaching you some manners, ghost and human ones!"

Teacher and student stared after the small dot that was Danny's back in silence. Dash then decided to speak up, his voice ringing loud and clear.

"Hey…since when the heck can Fenton run that fast?"

"…"

"And WHERE'S MY PRIZE?!"

**Tee-hee! I couldn't resist. I found this lying around somewhere and finally finished it. I know it might have made Dani seem a little OOC but I just HAD too! Also, did anyone notice that I mentioned the mysterious Elders, whom have been in one of my previous drabbles? I've gotten a few reviews asking me to tell them about the first time Danny had to use the Power, so I thought this would help you guys to use your imagination! Hope you liked it!**

**Artgirl4**


	23. The Happenings of Greentreese

**The Happenings of Greentreese**

It was just another unusual day in…?

No not Amity.

Greentreese.

Apparently, that is where our story today takes place, but just because it is not Amity, doesn't make it any less unusual than the usual haunt.

Ha. Ghost Joke.

Anyhow, it was just another unusual day in Greentreese, the camp where three equally unusual teenagers could be found spending their summer as counselors.

Their names: Danny James Fenton, Tucker Foley, and Samantha Manson.

It was on this peculiar sunny day that we could find the two lov-I mean friends busy at work, asking the various campers questions. The other one, was lounging in the forest, **watching **his two friends work.

Maybe I should start at the beginning.

Sam had been reading her Gothapalooza Weekly Edition Magazine when she came across an advertisement for the camp. Why was it advertised in a magazine for creepy dark people who liked the night time and bleakness? She couldn't help but wonder. She continued to read and found out it was said that the camp was haunted.

Sam was hooked.

Immediately Sam signed up the poor boys and herself up as counselors, and they reluctantly agreed, Danny because his superhero complex got the better of him, and Tucker because…well the girls, duh!

Camp started, and for a good five weeks, things went smoothly. There were only a few other counselors, whom they became fast friends with, as long as Tucker minded to stay away a good few meters from the female ones.

And of course, there were the little crushes.

It wasn't unexpected, because after all, Danny went swimming, which meant he had to remove his shirt.

More than half the camp's population of girls decided to be clingy.

Danny of course thought it was funny, and being the oblivious fool that he was, treated the young girls like little sisters.

And then, there was the hormone driven boys, who wouldn't mind going on a nature hike, or going swimming in the freezing cold water, as long as they could gaze at Sam all day long.

Sam too was sadly clueless.

Tucker got a few little girls who were in admiration of his technology skills.

Which introduces us to Clueless #3!

Which was amazing, as Danny continued not to notice how many girls seemed to "cramp up" in the pool and need him to dive in and come to their rescue, or sprain their ankle and need him to carry them to the nurse.

And Sam never noticed how the boys **also** "cramped up" in the pool, nor did she notice when she ended up giving piggy-back rides to boys who has **also **sprained their ankle.

Needless to say, the nurse had her hands full.

It was on this day though, that both Sam and Danny were talking intelligently with the campers, asking them whether they had indeed seen a ghost that very night.

Yep, there had been a ghost attack.

The trio had split up, Tucker saying he would go check out the "scene of the spook", as he so thoughtfully put it. Sam and Danny would go gather information, but they had not stayed more than two feet apart in reality, because the two campers had been right next to them who had witnessed it.

Convenient no?

While Danny was absorbed in conversation, he vaguely noticed a young camper take his hand. Well, he was used to this, and paid it no attention, becoming completely engrossed in the conversation while said camper stretched his arm out.

Sam was in the same situation, but also did not pay attention to the young camper who had taken her hand.

Danny felt the hand leave his hand for a moment, before it was grasped once more. Danny did not look.

And neither did Sam.

Tucker was snickering and taking photos with his PDA.

It was a while before both stopped talking with their campers, and then they both took off in a different direction, but found themselves pulled back.

Then their eyes meant, and when down to their hands.

Sam was holding Danny's hand.

Danny was holding Sam's.

Both pairs of eyes widened.

And both mouths opened wide.

And yelled "TUCKER!!"

In the woods, Tucker looked at his watch and determined to stay away for a good 4 hours. Then he took out his wallet and paid the little children, who grabbed the money and walked away.

Tucker smirked, and realizing he had nothing to do, went over the visuals of Danny and Sam holding hands.

Gold.

**Okay, this actually happened at my camp! How funny is that?! Also, who hasn't seen the clingy camper thing that happens to pretty much every counselor? Who? As a last sentiment, I am not good with making up Camp Names!!**

**Artgirl4 **


	24. Confession

Confession

**Confession**

In the Casper High building, a confession was taking place.

"You know…" Said the boy.

"Yes…" The girl urged, getting closer.

"I really…" He forced out.

"What is it?" The girl asked nervously.

"I really like you!" He blurted, then, covering his mouth, blushed. The girl also blushed, but she threw her arms around him after a moment, hugging him tightly.

"Me too. Ever since we were younger!" She confessed. He hugged her back.

But don't get me wrong my dear readers, what really moves me is what was happening **next **to the new couple.

Leaning on the lockers, both Sam Manson and Danny Fenton took one look at the new hook-up, and gagged.

At that moment their eyes met, and they looked away from each other abruptly, blushing.

It's that kind of thing that really warms the heart, doesn't it?

**Short but sweet. Tell me the truth, did any of you think that was Sam and Danny?? If you did…wow. If you didn't…I'm not surprised. But really, when I was writing that, I'm pretty sure I was gagging too! XD, R&R!**

**Artgirl4**


	25. A Haunted Hike

A Haunted Hike

**A Haunted Hike**

The class was on a field trip. It was supposed to be a simple lecture at the Nature Reserve on taking care of your environment, chaperoned by Mr. Lancer, Ms. Teslaff, and Mr. Shawty (whom the kids mercilessly teased by calling Mr. Shorty, which was actually quite true).

They had gone to the Reserve, only to find out the person who was doing the lecture had caught a high fever, and thus the trip was cancelled. The students had left very early in the morning just to reach the Reserve, so the call that the lecturer was sick came sadly too late.

But Ms. Teslaff was very annoyed. She had come for the food that was served on the trip, and by The Lord of Sandwiches, she planned on getting it! She took one look at the bunch of lazy juvenile delinquents they called students, and announced they were going on a mountain hike. No questions asked.

Of course there were complaints, groans, grumblings, and every other thing a student could do to show they were ticked off. But after Mr. Lancer compromised by promising no homework for the rest of the week, the teenagers readily agreed.

An hour later, they were regretting their decision.

"Dude! I shouldn't have to do this, I'm too young!" Dash said, panting hard.

"Yeah! When we get old, maybe even 30, then I might be willing to, but until I go onto one of those game shows for money, I don't wanna push myself **this **hard!" Kwan panted back.

"Excuse me! You guys are football players! We're just the cheerleaders!" Star said, breathing heavily.

"Yeah! You're supposed to be the big tough guys, and you can't even climb a mountain?!" Paulina said, aghast.

"Keep moving Sanchez! You too Baxter!" Ms. Teslaff ordered, pounding them on the back.

She moved on, not noticing how they fell at her push.

"Nice work Manson." Ms. Teslaff nodded gruffly at the girl, who was marching without breaking a sweat.

"Try not to faint Foley." Ms. Teslaff said frankly to the crawling boy, who was groaning with every step.

"Fenton is sick eh? Too bad, I would've liked to give him a little bit of this exercise as well."

"Danny's luck isn't as bad as it usually is today." Tucker noted, muttering under his breath.

"Keep it up Lance, a little more and you'll be burning a few calories!" Ms. Teslaff said, also 'patting' him supportively on the back.

"Ooph! I don't think I will be chaperoning again any time soon." Mr. Lancer said, bending on his knees and panting from exhaustion.

The class had reached a bit of a flat, level area, with many trees. But as they were approaching a clearing, green flashes of light went off, alerting them.

"What was that?!" Mr. Lancer shouted, but his voice became muffled when Ms. Teslaff slapped a hand over his mouth, almost knocking him over.

"Shh! This might be a chance to observe an animal in its natural habitat! Or better yet, discover a new species! All of you be quiet!" Ms. Teslaff hissed urgently.

Slowly the class peeked around, using the trees as their hiding spots.

"Darn it! Why is it that even when I'm sick you are still able to find me?!" Danny shouted, shooting ectoblasts at the nearest ecto-pus.

"Plasmius's orders kiddo! Vat vit the cost of bird seeds these days, you haf to vight these days!" One of the vultures said, swooping down as an ecto-pus tried to wrap around him.

"It's Danny Phantom!" Came the excited whispers.

"This is a low, even for Plasmius! I mean, I'm sick! Did he know that when he sent you?" Danny said, grabbing the ectopus and slamming it into a nearby tree, then using an intensified ectoblast to singe the vulture's wings.

"Possibly not. Vut we aren't going to take that chance, cause as I said before, the bird seed does not come cheap, you know vat I mean?" The Vulture said, diving at Danny.

"Achooo!" Danny suddenly said, doubling over. The vulture scratched at him, getting a few cuts on his arm successfully.

"Oiy vey, would you look at that, now I have your nasty voogers all over me! That's just wondervul isn't it?" The vulture asked, shaking his feathers out.

"I'm sorry, I'm too annoyed to make a witty remark. Oh would you look at that? I made one anyway! Guess I have to hit you now, don't I?" Danny said, cracking his fist.

"Vummmm, maybe you aren't in the best of moods vight now, we'll try again later." The bird said.

"Too late bird-brain!" Danny said, grabbing both the ecto-pus and the vulture by the claws and tentacles. Using a fenton thermos, he pulled both of them into it, both screeching all the way down.

Danny capped it successfully, then stopped short.

"Wait…there was more!" His realization came too late as two vultures grabbed him by the shoulders, diving and slamming him into the ground.

"Get off of me! Achoo!" Danny said, struggling.

"Vould you look at that? The boy can't even fight right, vat with the fever and all!" The vulture noted at the hopeless boy.

"I can use ecto-blasts!" Danny said, but when nothing happened, he was met by silence, then sneezed again.

"Or not." He noted, but was then slammed into the ground again, making an "oooph!" noise.

"Now you vind out why birds have these claws!" The vulture said menacingly.

Without effort, the bird cut 5 long scratches across Danny's front torso, making him yelp in pain. His Hazmat suit now had 5 red and bloody lines going across it.

"Vound two child!" The bird called, and again the claws went, but this time his legs. Danny yelped again, but bit his lip, refusing to scream as five long lines appeared on his lower leg, all bloody and tearing through his suit.

"And Vound three!" The bird was stopped short by the thermos, sucking both vultures in.

"You forgot I had this!" Danny said triumphantly, standing up and brushing himself off. The teacher and students looked in shock at the gaping wounds he had received.

Danny suddenly put a hand to his forehead and staggered, falling to the ground on his hands and knees.

"Dan-ooph!" Sam said as Ms. Teslaff slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh! Natural habitat!" Ms. Teslaff hissed again.

"Crud. That fever really is affecting me." Danny said, putting a hand to his forehead. He gave a feeble laugh.

"Hahaha. That temperature **can't** be good. Oh well, at least I caught the gho-ohs" Danny trailed off, losing consciousness and falling down. He lay there, face down on the ground. The teacher's caught sight of his reddened face. His thermos laid beside him forgotten for the moment.

"Danny!" Sam said, breaking free of Ms. Teslaff grasp and running towards the boy.

"Danny!" She shouted again, shaking the boy. Danny's head lolled back, his eyes never opening, his mouth slightly open to reveal his heavy breathing. His forehead was red and glistening.

All hell broke loose then and there, as all of the students and chaperones got closer, running up and approaching the boy.

"Stay back!" Sam and Tucker shouted, and for a moment, they complied, startled. Before they could approach again, Ms. Teslaff made her way through, then threw the comatose boy over her shoulder, making way through the crowd where no one could reach him.

"Lancer, ready the buses! We're taking this kid home and getting him some medical attention!" Ms. Teslaff barked.

"Sure, but one problem." Mr. Lancer said, catching up with the teacher. He looked at the town hero, whose face was so blank, except for the slightest bit of furrowed brow, and the face glistening with sweat.

"What is it?!" Ms. Teslaff barked again, now getting annoyed.

"Where exactly are the buses?" Mr. Lancer asked. A solemn silence reigned for a while. In all the excitement, the trail had been left behind. Where were they now? Which direction was up, which was down?

"It's alright! Danny Phantom will save us for sure!" Paulina shouted excitedly. But as it dawned on the students, they all looked at the unconscious, feverish child on Ms. Teslaff's shoulder, now shaking viciously.

"Are you sure he will save us Paulina?" Star asked, met with silence.

"Yes." Said Plasmius, grinning from his perch in the trees.

"Are you really sure?"

**I don't know what to do. What started out as Danny Phantom with a fever escalated into this! Now here's a question: Should I allow this to become a story (which wouldn't debut in a long time I'm afraid) or just continue it in Here's to the Hero, as a story, but sporadically? I'm sure it would be better as a story, but that means a long wait.**

…

**Danggit.**

**You guys get to choose! R&R**

**Artgirl4**


	26. Just a Child

**Ooh Chihuahua! I wrote some angst! *Gasps* This could only be the work of….Writer's Block! Darn Plot bunnies turn evil and have those red eyes…and it makes me wanna huggle them! Evil Bunnies! Evil bunnies! Angst Fanfiction! Angst Fanfiction! Help me! Help me! …Did I mention I'm on sugar?**

**Just a Child**

Maddie walked through the park, ecto-gun strapped onto her shoulder tightly. Her walk was far from casual, as she sauntered from tree to bush, to any other possible foliage that would provide cover. She was sure she had seen a glimmer of something.

What it was, was still unknown. Something rustled to her left, and Maddie, rolling her eyes, dropped down to a squat and rolled to her side into a bush, crouching low.

Maddie felt the rush of dissapointment. She hated using such cheap moves that only appeared ninja movies, but they could sometimes be effective in these type of scenarios. However, even if she told her karate/judo instructor that, he would probably never forgive her.

Maddie peeked out from the bush, and to her utter surprise saw a faintly glowing outline. A short stature with baby cheeks outlined with something that resembled white chalk. The whitish aura had two small eyes and a button nose, and pouty lips. Small stubbly legs attached to small stubbly feets, with two fat lumps for hands.

Maddie sat dumb-founded for a moment. She had heard of ghosts like this, merely pent-up memories, usually very mellow ghosts that were naturally harmless. But they usually didn't appear in the human world. Why…?

The ghost wobbled to the slide. Maddie noticed its little galoshed didn't make a sound when they stepped on a branch. The second time they stepped on a dried up leaf, a strangled crunch sound was made.

Could this child be trying to recreate a moment?

Maddie watched in silence.

The child's small hands gripped the bars, slowly hoisting itself up. The squeaks of the shoes on the metal were off-time, but the ghost paid no heed. As it sat at the head, memories flashed to Maddie's mind.

_"Uh, Uhhhh, Uh!" Panted a 4-year old child as he pulled himself up the bars of the slide._

_"Be careful honey! Remember, hand, hand, foot, foot!" Maddie called out concernedly._

_"Got it Mommy! Hand, hand, fwoot, fwoot!" The child grabbed another bar mechanically, mumbling the mantra to himself over and over again. Maddie watched from the side, concerned. _

_Danny's hand hit the slide and he grasped it, a triumphant grin alighting on his face._

_"Mommy I did it!" He looked down and blanched._

_"No Danny! Don't look down!" Too late. The child became pale and started to shake. He bit his own lip as tears stared to pool in the corners of his eyes. _

_"Danny you're almost there! Keep going!" Maddie encouraged._

_"Yeah you big baby! Give it a try already!" Jazz shouted, scowling._

_Danny reluctantly looked away from the ground and looked up. Slowly he swung his legs up, sitting down on the slide and-_

"Mommy…" The child sat on the slide's edge. He looked down around and said in a shaky voice,

"I did it Mommy. Do you see? I made it." Maddie looked for another shimmer. There was none. The ghost was alone.

Something tore at the mother's heart. Her ecto-gun lay beside her, forgotten.

The child looked down the slide and slid. His hands did not go up in an attempt to go faster, and no enlightenment shined on his face. He came to a stop at the end, and his feet gently brought him up to a stand. He looked to both sides. No one.

The kid wobbled slowly to the swings and sat down. Nothing happened for a few moments.

"Mommy, you said you'd watch me. You said you'd be there, and you'd watch. I went down the slide Mommy, I did it." The child looked at a single spot, a few feet away. He stared at it like there was something there.

"So where are you?"

Maddie stood up. The ghost did not see nor hear her. She reached for the gun then retracted her hand as if burned. That child…it was a benevolent ghost. Harmless really. Why not just let it stay…?

There was a soft thud as feet landed next to the child. It did not notice the lean figure next to it.

Maddie's breath caught as she saw the flicker of light reflected off the shiny metal surface of the Fenton Thermos. The figure pointed it at the small child, and for a moment the clouds covering the moon (for it had gotten late in the night) opened up and Maddie saw his face.

His green eyes, usually alight, seemed cold and dead. His whole body posture gave off an air of decisiveness. As the little machine responded to the ecto-energy and charged up, the small whine alerted the ghost, who looked at the teenager questioningly.

"…Mommy?" The hollow eyes did not look away as the boy was sucked up, its innocent face still staring at him curiously. Maddie felt something in her stomach clench.

Danny tucked away the thermos without another word.

"How dare you." Maddie whispered, raw fury boiling in her veins. Her eyes betrayed her anger, her teeth gritted together so hard she was sure he heard them grind. She approached him recklessly, standing close.

"How dare I what?" He asked, softly, coldly.

Somehow the roles had been switched.

"Capture him. That-That child!"

"Don't you mean that **ghost**?" Danny asked. Maddie flinched, taking a step back involuntarily.

"What, do you have an age limit?" Danny asked calmly, continuing very collectedly.

"I don't-" Maddie started angrily.

"Sure, if their younger than 10 they're okay, they **can't **be evil or dangerous-"

"Stop it!" Maddie cut in,

"but if they're older, even a teenager like me-"

"Slap!" Maddie stared in shock. Without realizing, she had struck the ghost across the face. Her hand went for her gun, but she found it discarded several feet away. She wouldn't be able to make it in time, even if she ran.

The boy touched a hand to his cheek, then regarded the woman with the coldest eyes she had ever seen.

"Did it ever cross your mind that that **child **as you put it could shoot rays out of his hands, like this?" He asked softly. A small green beam appeared in his hand and Maddie stepped back on instinct. A small smile graced the boy's lips and the beam disappeared.

"Or that maybe when he cried, things could blow up?" Danny asked, looking at her seriously. Maddie felt rage growing deep inside her.

"Of-Of course I did! Don't you dare tell me how to conduct myself!" She raised her hand as if to slap him again, and he flinched back. She blinked, and noticed for the first time that his hands were trembling ever so slightly. Could it be possible he was…scared?

She disregarded the comment. She had no weapon. She was defenseless. Why would he be scared?!

"That **child**," Maddie started. His unreadable eyes met hers as he realized she wasn't going to hit him.

"was looking for his mother. What danger could come from that?" Danny shrugged and for some reason she felt infuriated. Why did all reason leave her when she saw his face?

"Nothing. Or something. I wouldn't want to take that chance. Would you?" His eyes became profound, and she found herself unable to make sense of him. Why was the ghost being so darn evasive today?!

"You shouldn't talk like you know everything." She spat. For a moment his fists clenched.

"Say that child became convinced someone had killed his mother. What if that need to avenge her grew into something more…powerful? With ghosts you can't be too sure." Maddie grimaced again. He was using her **own **theories to trap her! She felt so angry and felt such strong desire to hurt him, hurt something!

"Still, that-that was cruel!"

"And if you had caught him, if you had actually felt the need to capture him, what would you have done?" Maddie felt like a predator losing to its prey. What…why was she becoming so disoriented.

"But-you"

"Think of it in this way," Danny said, looking at the metal thermos in his hand.

"If I bring that boy to the ghost zone, maybe he'll find his mother." That small smile returned.

Maddie staggered back. Why did he seem like the good guy, even to her? Why was she suddenly the evil thing to run away from?

"If I let a ghost go, simply because of how it looked…I don't think I would ever be able to run from that decision." Danny said softly, pocketing the thermos once more. Maddie now stared, unable to come up with a defence.

"You-You don't fight ghosts! I fight ghosts! I'm the ghost hunter! Not you!" She shouted suddenly, feeling like a small child.

His lips turned upward ever so slightly.

"I know." He said gently.

"Where would we be without the all-powerful ghost hunters?" He asked, smiling sadly.

Maddie felt like he had hit her.

"I don't know why I tried to reason with you, I never have before." He sighed.

"Look, I just," he stumbled. Then he showed her his hand, palm up, not fully-grown but like a kid's.

"Maybe because I can sympathize with a child." He murmured.

"You and I…are not that different. Where my heart doesn't beat, yours does, sure, but I am able to process thought…to let my emotions control me… to forgive…to forget…." The last part was a whisper

"To make mistakes…." Maddie felt unable to breathe.

"So if you make mistakes…and I forgive you…" He said, taking Maddie's hand in his, he turned hers upwards, and the slightly larger hand was clasped in the small one. She did not move.

"Maybe one day you'll come to forgive me." He grinned then, but his eyebrows made it a pained one. Maddie did not know how to react anymore. Something was placed in her hand, and then the ghost…child was gone.

Maddie then fell to her knees, shaking a little, and stared at the object in her hands. A thermos.

She felt that ghost had been incredibly impudent to her. She knew she should feel anger, and she could, somewhere, deep down.

But then also, she felt shame. And for the life of her, she couldn't understand why.

Had she made a mistake? The logical part of her asked.

Had Phantom been right to capture that child?

Another part, the more irrational, yet logical in a sense, responded,

When had Phantom ever been the right one?

What would make him capture that child in the first place?

And then some other part of her, the scientist part, asked,

Why don't we just find out?

The thermos was in her hands. The release button flashed green. She could let the ghost out. She could let it stay here, let it roam…or return it to the ghost zone.

Sudden thoughts whirled into her head.

Had Phantom shown the child cruelty…or mercy?

He had said he could sympathize with the ghost. Because of its age?

"He's a child too…" Maddie murmured softly, eyes widening. Had she really never noticed how young Danny was?

For a long time, Maddie's feeling and thoughts conflicted.

And then something else popped into her head…

Had she been biased?

Had she shown one child mercy where she had not another, just because of how it looked and acted? Had she **pitied **the ghost, and let it live?

She was no predator. She realized suddenly. Predators never showed their prey mercy.

Had Phantom been trying to get that across?

With a storm inside her head, and hands itching for an aspirin bottle, she got off her feet and slipped inside the Ghost Utility Vehicle. The thermos was gripped tightly in one hand as she drove.

The first thing she did was empty it into the ghost zone.

Was this a mistake? Every part of her asked.

She didn't know.

But if it was she'd already be forgiven by someone.

And for some reason, for which she did not know the answer to, she felt relief. Like so many things were no longer riding on her decisions.

And with that, the last surprise floated into her head.

Phantom had asked whether she'd forgive him…if he made a mistake.

_"Just a child…Just a ghost…"_ A part of her murmured. More biased thoughts.

Maybe there was a time where a lot rode on his decisions…maybe more than one…

_"Just a child…Just a ghost…"_

Maddie chose a bias.

"Maybe I would…" She looked into the swirling depths of the green portal.

"But only after I scolded you first."

**Oh gosh. That was a crummy ending to a crummy piece of angst if I've ever read one. I can't believe I actually wrote that. Oiy. Don't hurt the authoress. Reviews should never hurt, they should comfort. So please don't virtually slap me!!! Oh, I've been facing a TON of Writer's Block recently. For those Ghosts Can't Feel Electricity, I've basically written out 2/3 of the next chapter, but now I'm kinda in a slump. I am officially assigning the readers the task of RTG's!! (If you want to be!)**

**RTG = Random Title Generator. Give me something to work with people! (If you want to! …and you probably don't want to)**

**Help me! I'm swirling into a dark abyss of death! Look at that! I used the word "dark"! Writer's block makes me angsty! Help!**

**Artgirl4!**


	27. Primal Instincts

**This was a weird idea. This is what happens when you have a dream of your dog going wild, you watch a Danny Phantom episode, and you're on a LOT of sugar. **

…

**Enjoy!**

**Primal Instincts**

Danny sat next to the window, thanks to the seat rearrangement they had had in class the day before. Now the sun gently warmed his face, inviting him to close his eyes from the blinding rays and succumb to the sweet gentle allure of-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Danny jumped out of his seat and landed on his face. He winced as he looked up and froze. The girl had been right to shriek, considering the 70 Pound metallic suit floating above his head.

"Greetings humans!" Skulker boomed. Danny's eyes (along with the rest of the class) went to the syringe he held in his gloved silver hand, dripping with a green, acid-looking substance that sizzled and popped dangerously.

Danny then noticed no one had run. He assumed that either the door was locked tight, or they were too frightened to move. At this point it didn't matter much.

"I've come to found a volunteer for my new experiment. Does anyone care to give it a go?" Slowly everyone shook their heads.

"No? Are you sure?" He seemed sincerely confused as to why. They slowly shook their heads again.

"Hmm. Well that's a downer. I guess I'll just have to go to Plan B then." He shrugged rather mechanically. Then, in a fluid movement, grabbed Danny (who yelped and made everyone else scream in horror), and sunk the needle deeply into his thigh where he screamed.

The substance emptied into his system, and Danny twitched violently as his body automatically tried to repel the foreign liquids.

"I was going to first experiment on another child before the whelp but…well," The ghost smiled and leaned over the convulsing Danny.

"If you get killed before it's fine with me." For a long while no one dared move. Sam immediately made to help her friend, but Tucker held her back as Danny looked at them with warning eyes between spasms of pain.

Slowly his twitches slowed down, and then they completely stopped as his blood stream adapting to the new cells.

Skulker raised an eyebrow, then smiled in delight, clapping his hands together almost childishly.

"It worked! Wonderful!" Danny shakily propped himself up using his forearm, and stared hard at Skulker.

"What did you do to me?" He rasped out. Skulker merely smiled.

The ghost snapped his fingers and a ghost jaguar drew out from the shadows, green fur glistening, red eyes narrowed.

"Hunting ghosts is almost as fulfilling as hunting animals. I decided to make the perfect mixture of both." Skulker monologued. He snapped his fingers again and the beast crouched low. Danny slowly pulled himself up and stepped backwards to the farthest corner from the students and teacher, trapping himself but keeping them out of harm's way as well.

"Using me?" Danny asked. Skulker nodded.

"Ha! Like I'd ever become a-"

"Grrrr!" Erupted from the jaquar's throat. Danny snarled back automatically, lip curling over his teeth. He blinked twice, hand going to mouth. Skulker gave him a smug grin.

The beast growled again, and Danny's eyes narrowed, hand still firmly clamped over mouth.

"It's already begun child." Skulker pointed out to the terrified Danny. He looked from ghost to ghost, eyes widening.

Another snarl erupted from the animal's throat, and this time it threw itself at Danny. Danny kicked it to the side and jumped at a desk, trying to get away.

He surprised himself and the class when he landed on it like a cat, feet and hands down.

He jumped off on two legs as the monster clawed the desk to shreds. Danny punched it hard with one fist, but its claws slashed at his shirt, tearing it to shreds and accentuating his lean, slightly built chest.

A small gash flowing freely on his skin, Danny growled again, covering his mouth again in surprise right after.

Skulker chuckled and Danny glared at him, narrowly missing the jaguar. It skidded to a stop, using its claws to create friction.

Danny and it now on other sides of the classroom, it bounded on all fours towards the boy, and Danny dropped on all fours and rushed at the ghost as well. They fell together, becoming a wild mess of claws, teeth, hands, and feet.

Tufts of fur came as Danny's hands pulled, and scratches appeared on his uncovered forearms, his shirt being torn into little rags.

Both pairs of eyes were furious and wild as they rolled around on the floor together, hissing and baring teeth. Skulker's chuckle became a full out boisterous laugh. The kids both cowered in fear, and ogled at the sight of the suddenly ferocious Danny. The mild and meek (not referring to Superman or Superboy!....or was it Spiderman?) child was suddenly vicious and…frightening.

Jaws snapped, and Danny blinked again, trying to regain balance on two feet. The ghost dragged him down again, and this time he wildly threw punches and kicks left and right, trying to think rationally, while every fiber of his being tried to be reckless.

Then the most amazing thing happened. In the chaos, Danny roared, so loudly it even startled Skulker, and pushing his legs and arms out, threw the green jaguar so far and hard, it smacked into the wall painfully.

There it landed, licked it wounds, mewed pitifully, and turned tail and ran through the wall, whimpering the whole way.

Danny's whole body heaved, sweat covering every visible space as he panted, tongue slipping past his teeth ever so slightly with each breath. His head whipped around and he looked at Skulker with wild eyes, who, with wide eyes, also turned tail and ran.

As the class breathed a sigh of relief, Danny's head then whipped to them. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and their breath caught as he scanned over their faces. Danny growled when he saw Dash, whom squeaked pathetically.

His eyes then caught on Sam, nearest to him, and Tucker, where they narrowed. Tucker noticed his arm still restraining the girl, and released suddenly, stepping back and putting palms out in the universal sign of

'I didn't do anything. She's all yours.'

Sam's breath also caught as Danny, still on all fours, took a step towards her, as if stalking prey. Her knees suddenly felt weak and she collapsed onto them. Danny still approached and she froze.

"Da-Danny…calm down okay? It's me remember?" She said in a soothing voice. Danny continued to come.

"Let's not be too hasty…we're friends, not like Skulker or Dash right?" Danny growled, and his pace quickened. Sam paled and Tucker stepped forward, ready to knock his best friend out if necessary. Though truthfully, he had no idea how to.

Danny got closer and closer, and Tucker picked up a piece of wood from the desk that had been destroyed. He raised it over his head as if to swing it at Danny, but Danny looked at him with the same raging look and his grip went loose, his face also blanching.

Danny was now so close to Sam she could feel his breath on her. His wild, feverish eyes stared into hers and she looked at him with her frightened ones. Then, with sudden resolve, she remembered who she was.

And what she did to stubborn mutts.

A hand reached out and yanked on Danny's hair, pulling him back as he yelped like a puppy dog.

"Get a grip Danny! You're not a wild animal! You're a human being." The eyes became mad, and also slightly confused.

A growl started in his throat and Sam smacked his face, making most of the class's jaws drop.

"I said, get a grip!" She yelled at him. He stared at her with angry and surprised eyes. She glared at him. For a moment they stared at each other like that, then Danny suddenly withdrew a little, whimpering. The class gaped at Sam.

Sam smiled victoriously, then held her palm out. Danny approached ever so slowly, and she patted his head. He looked at her with small, innocent eyes.

"You figure his parents can make an antidote?" Sam asked in a monotone towards Tucker as she petted.

"I figure his parents can make an antidote." Tucker answered in the same flat voice, crossing his arms and sighing.

Danny then surprised them by circling twice and landing in Sam's lap, curling up for a sleep.

The guys would've laughed if it wasn't for the fact that Danny could've easily kicked their butts.

The girls would've laughed if it wasn't for the fact that Danny suddenly seemed hot. Especially with the tattered shirt, so he was basically just wearing jeans, the awesome looking chest, and the wild messy black hair.

Put it together with the angelic sleeping expression you only saw on a puppy's face, and you got the perfect combination of hot and cute.

…

Many long-eyelashed pairs of eyes glared at Sam with raging jealously.

Sam looked at the boy sleeping in her lap and motioned for Mr. Lancer to 'call the Fentons'. Then she mouthed at Tucker to 'turn off the PDA or I'll-' and some aggressive language that a ghost would've gone greener at.

Tucker smirked and then whispered softly.

"Sam Manson, lover of nature, and resident tamer of beasts. Or is it just Danny?"

Sam's head was the one that whipped toward Tucker this time, growling in the same tone. A few kids wondered whether she had been infected too.

Tucker blanched, and hurriedly stepped back with the same palms up universal sign,

'I didn't do anything. Don't hurt me. He's all yours' He yelped as the wood in his hand bonked him on the head. Sam smirked and he scowled.

"Nope. I'm just naturally scary." She announced cheerfully.

No one doubted it.

**I don't know whether this is IC or not, but hey, I gave it a shot. Really had my mojo back on this one, only visited it two times to finish. (Really saying something for me). Break it to me slowly, or take a hammer and pound my little writer hearts to bits. It's your call! : D **

**Artgirl4!**


	28. Grass is Greener

**I figure it's time to do a disclaimer. So uh, here. And don't hurt me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. He deserves to be wild, and live free! Run Danny run! Be free Danny! Be free! Now get my gun little one, I got some hunting to do. Hehehehehehe…..**

**Like you can't tell whose POV this is!s**

**Grass is Greener**

To say the kids of Casper High still screamed when they saw a ghost would be stupid.

Because they always did, so wasn't it obvious already?

To say they still cheered when they saw Danny Phantom tearing through the place chasing it, well….

**That would be an understatement.**

No, make that the understatement **of the year**.

Now of course, you don't see me getting any kind of love like that, I'm just a Supporting charac-Oof!

That was Sam elbowing me. Time for action I guess.

Supporting Character action. The best kind of action there is.

So we followed, as did many brain-lacking students. Of course Dash was there! Good thing is, the crowd provides great cover for getting to a place inconspicuously. However, the place we were heading in the direction of was not at all conspicuous. In fact, if you wanted to have a ghost fight there, you were going to have to do it with a large audience.

Yep, you guessed it, the gym.

Of course, a crowd of students wasn't the only large cover…

"Coming through! Make way! Hey, I had the right of way! Yeah well same to you!"

"Jack, honey, that's a kid. Here's a ecto-free band-aid sweetie! Catch!"

Sam and I managed to flatten ourselves against the walls as the Fenton Seniors barreled through. The Fenton Thermos in my pocket dug against my skin, but you know, just some supporting character pain.

Not as painful as Main Character pain, I have to admit.

"Tucker! We have to get there before they do!" Sam hissed. Well that was obvious.

"How?! Mr. Fenton's got five times the manpower, and two times the truck power!"

"Aren't there any shortcuts?!"

"The only one is through the walls and only one of us can do that!"

Main Character bonus right there.

"How far is Danny before he lands himself in the gym?" Sam asked. My hand reached for my PDA as we started to run again. I had…discreetly planted a tracker on Danny's jumpsuit. All it took was some sleeping pills, knockout gas, fenton shockers, you know, the works. Danny would never approve of us following if he ever got in big trouble.

Supporting characters always have a lot of dirty work to do.

I quickly took it out and started scanning.

"I think he's near the teacher lounge-"

"Ah! My super sub sandwich the melted mozarella!" Ms. Teslaff.

"No! My F's-I mean tests!!!" Mr. Lancer.

"Okay, he's **past **the teacher's lounge then."

"Come on! We can cut through there then!" Oh yeah, there was a door on the other side. We quickly jogged through it, dodging hands as a few startled angry teachers tried to grab at us.

We came to a side door to the gym and hurled through it fast. Door knobs? Who need 'em when you have a shoulder?

Me apparently. More Supporting character pain.

It seemed Danny, along with a large group of students and the Fentons, had gotten to the gym before us. The students and Fentons seemed to be at the entrance, while Danny and the ghost were opposite and circling each other. There was no way to pass him the thermos without being seen.

Oh crud.

The ghost was one of those green blobby ones. That was a pretty wide range I just stated there, so I'll add another important fact. This green blobby ghost had sharp green claws.

Danny gulped not-so-softly.

"Freeze ectoslime!" Jack shouted, weapon charged. Danny's eyes got wide and he ducked just in time. The blast flew over his head and nailed the other ghost. I grimaced sympathetically.

"Sam, Tucker, get away from there!" Mrs. F seemed to notice us for the first time, and I guess its because we were so dangerously close to the fight. Sam used it to her advantage.

"Oh, Ah! How ut-ter-ly terrifying!" She wasn't that good an actress, but they were oblivious anyway. I just went for the speechless role and ran along with Sam, but then she kicked me in the knee.

"Ow!" I crumpled to the floor, and she kneeled beside me.

"O-ops!" She said fakely again, turning around to help me up as Danny looked at us questioningly. Yeah, he knew Sam stunk too. Sam reached forward and knocked the thermos that had been sliding out of my pocket across the floor, where it rested at Danny's feet.

"Oops again!" Then she grabbed my arm and pulled us to the safe side. Danny's mom totally gave us this look that said "We won't only talk about that stupid act of recklessness later, but your parents will be hearing about it as well."

Moms never have problems with communication barriers. It's all in the facial expression for them.

"Nice." I whispered to Sam in admiration, then rubbed my sore knee.

"Lessen the strength though."

"I'll work on it." …She'll never work on it. Besides, Sam was more concerned for Danny, cause the ghost had gotten up again.

Gurgling (it didn't have a mouth), it's claws suddenly spread and then…shot forward, nearly catching Danny at the shoulder. He yelped and ducked down.

"Oh great! Now you can **shoot **them too?!" He shouted, then yelped and ducked again as another came his way. It seemed though, the ghost hadn't particularly been aiming for him, because they caught both of his parents' weapons in the exact part where the blast comes out of, you know, the-

"Out we go!" Jack shouted suddenly grabbing both guns and tossing them at the ghosts with surprisingly good aim. I chalk it up to adrenaline.

Anyway, it must've been good aim, because one caught Danny in the head (sending him down with a groan), and the other one went for the ghost, who agilely leaped over it.

"Oh **come **on…" Danny moaned. You could tell he had a serious migraine by the fact that he was no longer even trying to act heroic, his butt up in the air, and his face resting against the wood as he rubbed his head.

Chances are, I'm dealing with one cranky half-dead teenager tonight, with only a bottle of aspirin and a book Jazz gave me on how to handle mood swings to aid me in my plight.

Ain't being a supporting character just wonderful?

Of course there was more. It seemed since the claws had gone in the barrel of the ecto-weapons, they were short-circuiting, and because of that, the energy was getting backed up, and because of that-Ow!

I was telling Sam that explanation. She wants it in English.

They're gonna blow okay?!

And blow they did. Even with his head pounding, Danny wasn't deaf. He could hear the unmistakable whine of an ecto-gun, and he took one wide-eyed look at the weapon before phasing through the ground.

The ghost wasn't as lucky.

No one on our side was thoroughly harmed, because the ectoblasters were small and we were standing all the way on the other side. The ghost got thrown into the wall, which cracked and dented with its weight. Danny slipped up to the surface and dove for the Fenton Thermos Sam had left on the floor. Then he tackled the blob through the wall.

Now, since Danny went right at the sharp part, I wouldn't doubt he got slashed in a few major body part areas.

Guess who's gonna be doing damage control later today?

There was a universal sigh let loose from that huge group of teenagers. Jack sighed too pretty loudly, but not from the dissapointment of seeing Danny go away. Probably from seeing Danny go away without getting a few good shots at him/and or capturing him.

Now if you ask me, maybe being a Main Character ain't all its cracked up to be. Now I probably said in the beginning its no fun to be a Supporting Character, and I have been complaining a lot, but look at Danny!

Here he is, getting shot at by his own parents, getting clawed by some demon-ghost thing, and having to be watched by all of his peers while he gets his butt kicked too.

So if Danny's life kinda sucks, and mine is going pretty well, being a Supporting Character isn't so ba-

"Oh Phantom! Come back Danny!" Someone shouts in a girly fashion. My eyes land on Paulina, who is currently heading for the other side of the gym's door, tagged along by the rest of the Danny Phantom Phan Club, filled with many gorgeous babes.

I kinda ignore the Fenton parents running after them, along with the huge group of teenagers. Sam tugs at my collar, pretty much choking me, and drags me along, calling me all sorts of names as I stumble.

Oh forget it. Being a Supporting Character stinks.

Like the Box Ghost after searching through a dumpster.

Yeah, **that **much.

**Okay, so first I had a cool idea. But then, to get to the idea I needed to create a fight, you know the whole big-bang. Then I had the funny idea to do it in Tucker's POV! And then I totally just dropped the cool idea. Oh well, guess I'll do it in another one-shot. And no, I won't tell you what the idea is. Neener-Neener, Neener! Tee-hee! **

**R&R Please! And, like I stated before in a chapter I recently posted for Finding Danielle, go to the polls please!! Vote! Vote! You don't even need to find a shuttle and available booth! Go to my profile page and Vote! Vote! XD**

**Artgirl4!**


	29. Walking Into It

**Walking Into It**

"Hey Danny, I need your help."

"Sure Tuck, anything to get you out of this mood you've got going on." Danny said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. It was true. Tucker had been as conversational as a peanut, and as lucky as that was, hadn't refrained from commenting on Danny's previous battles.

All which had consisted of Danny's butt being kicked.

"It's about a girl…"

"Never mind. Go talk to Sam about it." Danny turned his friend around and pushed him towards the general direction of Sam's house, then turned and walked towards his own. Tucker's steps echoed after his as he ran to catch up.

"I can't." Weird. He sounded almost nervous.

"Why?"

"Have you ever thought someone was pretty?"

"...."

"Okay, that was too general. Paulina would fit in that category, for every teenage boy." Tucker admitted.

"Have you ever thought someone was pretty, smart, and practically perfect for you?" Danny paused, his step slowing. Tucker waited alongside.

"Well, I guess, yeah…"

"Who?" Tucker asked enthusiastically. Danny grimaced.

"Uhh…Paulina?" Tucker scowled.

"Okay, okay, how about Valerie?" Tucker looked frustrated now.

"I mean currently. Get over her Danny, you're like your mother's green eggs and ham to Val. What about right now?"

Danny paused, then turned a brilliant shade of crimson. He missed Tucker's smirk.

"W-W-Why are you asking stuff like that Tuck? I thought this was about you!!!" Danny stammered.

Tucker started sulking.

"Well, you see, there's this girl…but I don't know whether I should-"

"Is she cute?"

"Well yeah…"

"Is she smart?"

"Totally."

"I'd say she's out of your league."

"…Thanks man. Just thanks." Tucker turned and headed in the opposite direction, but Danny pulled him back, laughing.

"Tucker, I was joking! If you like her all that much, then I say go for it! I mean, I'm not one to talk-"

"That's for sure." Came the muttered reply.

"**-But, **you've got nothing to lose!" Danny said, glaring sharply. Tucker smiled.

"She **is **really pretty…"

"I bet."

"She **is **really smart too…but not overly so."

"You're getting me curious."

"And she's got this silky black hair…"

"Interesting…"

"And these amazingly vivid eyes…"

"You don't say…"

"And they really sparkle when she's talking about something she's passionate about…"

"Uh-huh…." Danny nodded thoughtfully. He seemed totally immersed and enchanted as he pictured something.

"And you could get lost in her perfume…it's such a sweet combination of lavender and lilacs, her favorite flowers…"

"Yeah, it is…" And then something in his mind went,

'SCRRRRRREEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCHHHHHH' and production time closed down.

"WAIT, **WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!" **Danny yelled, taking Tucker and shaking him.

Tucker looked at him in alarm, then sheepishly.

"Uh, well, that girl, you know the one I like? She's, uh, kinda, Sam."

"WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

"What, you haven't noticed how pretty she is?"

"Well, it's not that I haven't-"

"And how her eyes are so expressive?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"So you don't agree that she's totally hot?"

"TUCKER!" Danny slapped a hand over his friend's mouth, glaring at him so angrily that his eyes went green.

"We. Don't. Talk. About. Friends. Like. **That.**" Danny spat. Tucker stared wide-eyed. Danny released him, but he pressed on.

"Why not?" Danny turned and started walking again.

"It, like, violates the friend code! I don't know, it's just wrong!" He shuddered violently.

"So because she's a friend, I suddenly can't ask her out?!" Danny stopped, but didn't turn around.

"I mean, so what? If we knew each other before, I can't actually look at her that way?" Danny didn't turn around.

"Cuz if you ask me dude, that's just a bunch of-"

"I get it." Danny said softly. Tucker stopped mid-rant.

"Get what?" He asked suspiciously.

"Just because you guys are friends doesn't mean you can't ask her out. That was a stupid thing for me to say." Tucker nodded.

"But Tuck…"

"Yeah dude?" He turned around slowly and took Tucker by the shoulders. His face was deadly serious, and Tucker paled underneath his death grip.

"If you dare hurt Sam, I'll kill you, best friends or not. And then I'll toss you into the ghost zone." Tucker didn't doubt it. As if to seal the deal, Danny's eyes flashed green again. Then he turned and briskly started walking again, as if to say "discussion closed".

"Well actually dude, I don't think I'm gonna do it." That must've been the third time Danny stopped abruptly. He turned to Tucker, eye twitching. Tucker grimaced.

"You're not asking her out." A statement.

"No, actually. I don't think she's interested or anything. Besides, there's plenty of other lovely lady fishes in the wide open seas, and something tells me I've got a rod and bait all ready for some good old fashioned fishing." Danny's eyes twitched once more.

"Seriously."

"One hundred percent."

Danny turned once more and started walking, pounding welts into the ground with every step.

"Uh, but dude,"

"WHAT?!" Danny snapped, spinning around for the last time, up close and personal. Tucker actually showed some backbone for once. He smirked at Danny and said clearly,

"You totally walked yourself into that one." And then he turned, whistling, off in the direction of Sam's house. Danny sank down to the sidewalk after staring at Tucker's departing back.

"What just happened?" He asked softly, completely confused.

"What the heck just happened?!"

**I think this popped up from a fanfiction I read a long time ago. Where the best friend pretended to be interested in the girl to get the guy to admit his feelings. But it was for another show, so I thought it was okay to tweak the idea a little bit. I love a confuzzled Danny! Don't you?!?!?!?!?! XD**

**(A very sadistic) Artgirl4!**


	30. A Stroke of Magic

**Yes, I guest star in this one. But no, I do not get sucked into the DP World. I'd appreciate it if you guys read it, because it's not one of those "Author in the story" boring ones, not to say that all of them are boring, but still. You might find this funny! It DOES have DP in it!!!!**

**A Stroke of Magic**

Artgirl4 sat down with her head on a science table. Why? Cause she was tired, grumpy, and cranky. Not to mention hungry.

"And I'm missing my lunch period…**why**?" She muttered, rubbing her temples in frustration. She needed food, and her biological clock wasn't good at rewiring itself. She needed food **now. **For god's sake, she had been puking less than a day before, and now she finally **had **an appetite, they denied her the right to eat?!?!

"This yours?" Artgirl4 refrained from swiping the test packet out of her teacher's hand. A substitute, whom, very often reminded her of a bitter old man.

Probably because he was, in fact, a bitter old man.

"How is he still even allowed to teach?" She murmured, accepting the packet and placing it down on her table. As soon as she did that, she smoothed out the crumples and placed her head on it. It wasn't the best makeshift pillow, but it was the only one she had.

"Oh yeah, all of our teachers hold him in the highest esteems because he knows all these random facts about English." Artgirl4 muttered thoughtfully. She eyed her pencil, flipping it around and drawing eraser cartoons on the table.

"Random facts which he enjoys spewing out when we should be working, instead of letting us work." Artgirl4 raised her head with a sigh as the old far-the teacher began to talk.

As soon as he was done rambling about the test directions, he let them flip open the packets to page one. Artgirl4 did not refrain from mouthing out the directions she must have heard a million times before in a mocking face.

Her only audience was her desk though, because she, like everyone else, was facing the test paper.

"You may begin." Artgirl4 bit back a halleluiah and turned the page. She went through the (Bleeping) test booklet and answered the questions. She ignored the clawing hunger in her stomach and continued to work. She wished she could just finish and then daydream about her next fanfic, or about eating a nice juicy burger, then remembered Sam was a vegetarian, and wondered what it would be like to have Sam scold her for her carnivorous ways-

Right! Test! She bit back a groan and went back to filling in small taunting bubbles. Oh, how they taunted her.

Then the page was turned to a new excerpt. How she hated analyzing stupid excerpts. She started to read.

_"Ricky D'Shon Collins must always warm his vocal cords up. He has a big day ahead of him today, spending most of his time in a recording studio voicing "Tucker Foley", an ongoing character in the Nickelodeon series, Danny Phantom"_

No. Bleeping. Way.

Artgirl4 tenses, rereading the sentence. Surely something has gotten to her. She finally snapped from pretest stress! She's gone nuts! She fell asleep and is dreaming!

Cuz what are the chances of that?!?!?!

She looks down.

_"Tucker Foley….Danny Phantom…"_

Oh my God.

Then it sinks in.

Her shoulders start shaking, but Artgirl4 isn't crying. She's **laughing**. Hysterics, actually. She zips through the article, answers the questions, then flies through the rest of the test, trying to hold back her giggles before her classmates send her to an insane asylum.

Then she rereads the article, just to make sure. Again, and Again.

When it's time to hand in the test, she smiles at Rickey D'Shon Collins' photo.

"Thanks for being there for me Dude. I'm totally writing about you tonight."

Yes, Artgirl4 thinks as she waltzes out of the classroom. She knows she's missed lunch, and to take a stupid test. She knows she's starving, and this close to going into an uncontrollable rage.

But she feels strangely giddy. Not enough to skip down the halls, 'cause there's still a straightjacket with her name on it, but kinda floaty.

It's a sign, It's a sign, her subconscious chants. Artgirl4 smiles.

I'm definitely writing tonight.

**Yes, this actually happened. I thought you guys might want to know where I got the true inspiration for The Grass is Greener. I had been sick (throwing up, sick) for a whole week, and taking those stupid tests made me feel even worse, even after I recovered. Reading that article made me feel like someone was trying to tell me something. It's nice to know I'll always be welcome in the fanfiction world! Okay, moment of sappiness over!**

**Artgirl4!**


	31. That Day

**That Day**

One blissful Maddie Fenton strode down the hallway, her familiar blue jumpsuit instead replaced with a soft, turquoise gown. In her arms, she cradled a small bundle. A large sheet had been wrapped repeatedly over the small figure, and only a small face was visible.

Maddie could feel its faint warmth through the sheets, and clutched the package even more tightly to her bosom. Its large eyes, closed and pale skin gave no indication of its life, but its chest rose and fell slowly.

Only a week later, Maddie was discharged from the hospital. Even though many had offered her a wheelchair, she had shaken them off. Her independence and strong will had pulled her through for both of her children, her treasures.

A small sigh escaped her lips. Children. Not just one child. Checking, she saw her husband, lagging behind and staring through the clear glass to the small babies on the other side.

Knowing he would not hear her, Maddie let loose a girlish giggle. She hugged the bundle and traced the small, wispy trace of black hair. Its nose twitched.

Glancing back once more, Maddie turned her attention to the bundle. Carefully she pulled back the sheets a little, just for one more confirmation…yes, it was a boy. She giggled again, tucking the sheets back once more.

"Hey Mads! She has your eyes!" Maddie sighed and turned to face her husband, whom smiled gleefully, eyes glued to the glass.

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell you. **Danny **is a boy." Jack frowned.

"Why Danny, Sweet cheeks? That's such a stupid-" She silenced him with a glare, arms curling around her child protectively.

"Because Jack, I like it. And you got to pick Jazz's name, remember?" Jack pouted.

"And Danny's eyes are blue Sweetie, like his grandpa's." She reminded him gently. Jack grinned, apparently remembering their previous discussion.

"Not Dan Hon! Her!" He pointed to one of the bundles in the other room. Maddie came over to him and squinted, trying to locate what he was looking at.

Blankets of all different colors peeked up at her. While boys mostly had dark colors, girls had light ones. It was a large contrast to the blindingly white room. Maddie shuddered, wanting to leave the hospital once and for all.

Eventually, she saw what Jack was pointing at. Another equally wrapped bundle. This one had a personalized blanket, a golden yellow with pink butterflies.

What made Maddie gasp in surprise was the eyes. The girl (for the blanket made it blaringly obvious) stared calmly at them, transfixed. Almost as if she held their gaze, she did not cry nor wail. She simply looked at them, blinking occasionally, her pale face looking up.

Her eyes were a vibrant violet, strangely not unlike her own. That was what really shocked Maddie.

After all, throughout Maddie's life, her eyes had been her crowning jewels. Apparently she had inherited them, the perfect combination of luck and chance wrapped together. A recessive, recessive genetic trait that had been buried within her family for a very long time.

"Wha-What's her name?" Maddie finally asked when she had found her voice. Jack squinted, leaning against the glass heavily. Finally he told her,

"Samantha. I think it's Samantha Mansion." Maddie raised an eyebrow, and then looked herself.

"I think it's Samantha Manson actually." Maddie smiled slightly.

"Well, she isn't my child Jack. But you're right. She does have my eyes." Maddie looked down at her own baby, and then smiled proudly at her husband, who grinned back, clamping a large hand on her shoulder.

"Come on Danny. Let's go home." She cooed, smiling. Then she carefully took his small hand, his arm limp in her grip, and waved it at the glass.

"Say good-bye to Sammy now. Say bye to Sam!" She cooed. The violet-eyed baby looked at the other one. Danny's large eyes opened, revealing the clear blue.

And then, Maddie would forever swear their eyes met. Both babies stared at each other through the glass. Then, to Jack and Maddie's infinite surprise, they simultaneously started to wail. Danny's small hands grabbed Maddie's finger as his face turned red from the effort.

Maddie could've sworn she heard someone yell out "Sammy-kins!" From somewhere down the hall, but she might've been wrong. With a tired glance at her still-screeching child, she smiled wearily at her husband.

"Let's go home Jack." He nodded, and with one last glance at the violet-eyed child, they left the hospital.

And as their children grew up, Danny met his two friends.

Maddie took in the chocolate-skinned, lanky child. Then she turned, glad the other one was a female.

Violet-eyes met violet-eyes in a clash. Maddie looked at her with eyes slightly wide. The girl stared back at her, blinking, slight surprise in her eyes, but a lack of any clear emotion. She held Maddie's gaze. Then she slowly cracked a smile.

And Maddie smiled back.

**Lamest title, I know. This idea came when I was thinking about how Maddie and Sam's eyes were the same color. It made me think that it would be cool if the creators had done that on purpose. Has anyone ever heard of people liking those with characteristics similar to their parents?! I have!!!**

**So, even with a fever, I write. How come most of my excuses come with me being sick? Because even though I'm and idiot, I catch colds!!!**

**Ghost's Can't Feel Electricity: Working on it. Currently trying to make my way through A Jazz and Danny touching moment. However, I hate sappiness, so its hard to write. Secondly, I've been going over it, and I'm trying to plan out some future things for the next chapter.**

**Finding Danielle: Reeeeeeaaaallly hard. I'm trying to make this perfect, which means I keep going over it repeatedly rewriting it. I'm trying to keep it funny, and keep it smooth. Not to mention I have to make sure it helps for the future chapters! **

**So there you go! Hopefully that answers all questions! Bye for now!**

**Artgirl4!**


	32. College Days

**I'm sorry you guys!!! I'll try to do better this weekend, I promise! **

**College Days**

Michelle smiled. She looked to the rest of the girls in confirmation, and they nodded. They would make the approach today.

Michelle quickly threw her hair back over her shoulder, and it came down perfectly, framing her face in a way she knew was powerful.

Powerful to the opposite sex, that is.

"Make-up?"

"Check!"

"Hair?"

"Check!"

"Then let's go." Michelle strode confidently, the other women behind her. Of course, compared to Michelle, they were more on the average side. She on the other hand, was drop-dead gorgeous, and it was something she flaunted to the highest degree.

Men and women watched as the group descended through the halls. There were only 3 others, but they shared a common purpose.

Him.

Michelle's eyes lit up as she spotted him. The other girls also grew excited in anticipation. He was leaning against a wall outside a classroom, talking to another dark-skinned man. She knew his name of course, she had to.

"Tucker! Danny!" She waved cheerfully. Tucker smiled in a friend like way. The other man turned to see who it was, and he also smiled softly.

Then came what they had called "The Danny Affect".

The girls behind Michelle bit their lips, smiled shyly, and their palms got sweaty. Even Michelle was hit, but not as hard. She'd learned to deal with it, and instead focused on the soft curve of his lips.

What lips those were too-

"Michelle!"

And that voice!

It was hard to believe he'd been a geek in high school. Tucker had once shown her a picture, which he liked to show to everyone, which explained why he had shown in to her. The Danny now, well, he had changed.

Big Time.

His chest had broadened, and though he had blushingly denied working out daily, it was obvious he exercised often. His shoulders were squared, and his jaw was strong. His hair, though messy, was gelled into something a bit more manageable, and he was always clean shaven.

And his back and legs looked like they could support anyone and anything.

He had changed indeed.

And then there was the innocent factor. What had lead to the almost-formation of a fan club was the pure smile he held on his face for those he cared about.

And surely he cared about Michelle!

Michelle smiled back, but inside she crowed happily. Danny always got so happy around her. Even that time when she had asked him to help her go shopping, he had obliged cheerfully. She was sure she had him.

But she had been tired of waiting for him to make the first move.

So with the girls backing her up (because if Danny had to be with anyone, at least it would be someone pretty, and if Michelle got rejected now, they would still be able to admire him) she was going to ask him out!

And of course he'd accept.

A devious smile almost slipped onto her face.

"What are you so happy about Tucker?" She asked, smiling so widely her dimples showed.

Tucker blinked. Michelle kept a frown from her face, knowing what it was. Tucker was good at seeing through people, and while not unattractive, Michelle was not interested in him in the least.

Not even as a friend.

"Uh, that's 'cause Danny he has got some rockin' news! Man, I can't believe you did it!" This time Michelle blinked.

"Wha…?" She started to ask, but Danny looked past her for the first time and saw the shy girls hanging around.

"Hey Michelle, who are they?" He smiled politely and the girls grinned back. Clearly overwhelmed, he turned his attention back to Michelle.

"Just some friends. I wanted to take them to that photography class, since we could use some new recruits." She lied through her teeth. Danny nodded.

"That's cool. I'm sure Professor Thompskin will be happy."

Totally gone. You want me to be happy, don't you Danny? Michelle's lips curved upwards.

"Hey Tuck, I was wondering if you want to talk to Chlara over there? She's the freshman in the college sweatshirt." Michelle winked. Tuck grinned after a moment's hesitation.

"Ooh Ivy Leagues! You know my style Michy! See ya dude! And congrats!" Tucker gave him a 500 Watt grin and high-tailed it to the girl. Michelle's mouth quirked at the silly nickname, and then she turned to Danny, who was grinning stupidly. Then he looked befuddled, and murmured,

"God Tuck, you have Valerie. **Stop **flirting…"

"What's with you?" Michelle said, swinging over. She leaned forward so that Danny could see her chest (which she admitted was a pretty good size), but like a gentleman, he never looked down. He was obviously aware of her feelings.

Then she looked at his face. That stupid-but-cute smile was on his face, and now his eyes were kinda dazed. Michelle waved a hand in front of his face. He didn't seem to notice.

Michelle grabbed one of his hands and started waving it in front of his own face.

"Heeeellllo-!" Her eyes found the small gold band. Her stomach dropped and her eye twitched. It was a promise ring, that was all. A promise ring….

Danny snapped out his trance to find Michelle staring at his hand. Realizing, he shot it behind his back, blushing madly.

"Uhh, ummm, I mean," Michelle stared at him dumbfounded, which in response he blushed harder. Something dark was growing in Michelle's stomach, and she knew exactly what it was.

"You…you're…" She whispered. Danny's grin, which she now was realizing was actually lovesick…was back in full force.

"Uh, well, you see, I took her out to dinner, and it was perfect and all, no…..well, nothing, and then this, -uh- guy I knew well, you could say he was my guardian comes along later, and he uh, gave me this ring I had left behind, and said, well," His face was becoming permanently red.

"He says 'Danny, if you're gonna do it anytime, you're gonna do it now. This is something I **know'**, which is kinda funny, because he knows a **lot **of things, and well, I did do it. I mean, I was going to do it anyway, just not then, but I was kinda scared, and-" He was babbling, and they both knew it. Michelle felt only rage and shock.

How dare that little (*bleep*) steal her man! That (*bleep*) didn't know who she was dealing with, and poor Danny, who didn't know that (*bleep*) was actually a (*bleep*) (*bleep*)!!!

"So she said yes?" Michelle asked, eye twitching as she tried to remain calm. Danny got quiet. His eyes suddenly were profound, and his smile was quiet and soft, instead of the usual one. Michelle wondered why he had never given her that look. He belonged to her. He should've belonged to **her!**

"Yeah," He mumbled. His face radiated a gentle kind of joy.

"She did."

"What's her name?" And the look in his eyes got farther and farther away from Michelle, until she was left alone, and he was there, all the way, remembering **her** and the things **she **did.

"Sam." He murmured softly. Michelle noticed he was now fingering the golden band. The engagement ring.

"Her name is Sam." His lips curved upwards.

Michelle grit her teeth. She'd tell the others. They'd find this Sam. Danny was adored by almost every –single- girl in their college! And no one was going to take him away from them! No one!

Sam! Michelle silently raged. If he's your fiancé, then I'll make sure the engagement is canceled!

You will not become Sam Fenton!

**She failed. Sam became Sam Fenton, becuz the authoress wanted it. And what the authoress wants (at least in her own fanfiction), the authoress gets.**

**Don't know why I wrote this, but I felt the need to. I kept on imagining the fangirls falling into a dark abyss when Danny actually got a girlfriend, or got married. I simply formed it into Michelle. **

**And if you guys are actually feeling sorry for her, don't. She's meant to be a girl who believed she could get anyone she wanted, she just set her sights on Danny. She was merely impacted because she thought she had lost.**

**Yes it was Clockwork, if any of you were wondering. The guardian, I mean.**

**And I guess writing this just proved to me…well…**

**There are scarier things than ghosts.**

**Tee-hee! Stick around for more DP!**

**Artgirl4**


	33. The Guardian Series 1

**The Guardian Series 1**

_**A figure meditates…**_

"_Slam!"_

Blue eyes looked through black bangs, wide and uncomprehending. What had he done for this?!

"_Wham!"_

Boy crouched on floor, holding stomach, coughing, gagging. Another, well-defined boy stared over him. His gaze was dark.

"Stand up." The latter commanded. The boy was still catching his breath.

"I said up Fenturd!" Now he was pinned against the unyielding metal again.

Though light blue, now stormy and dark, they gazed at him.

_You…You…_

_Stop staring!_

**Blue eyes opened.**

_"Bam!"_

People whispered. Neither boy paid them attention. One boy was too busy curling himself. Legs protected his damaged stomach.

The second was angry, more angry than normal. This, the whispers noted, was strange. What had happened?

"Get up. You've still got a lot more scheduled for today." The boy didn't move, instead staring at him.

"I said get up!"

_**Blue eyes flickered to green. Blue…green…blue…green.**_

___"Bang!"_

The boy felt the metal scratch his back. The looming teenager still had one foot outstretched. Blue eyes still met his squarely, outrage defineable.

_Stop staring at me…Stop staring at me with those eyes!!!_

_Why…Why is he…What did I do?!?!?!_

"Dash! Stop it!" Now a girl was protecting him. She stood, arms outstretched.

From behind her the boy still glared. His eyes, unnerving, never leaving his target.

_**Green eyes rose. They got up from sitting position. Walked forward indifferently…**_

___"Slap!"_

The boy stared in disbelief.

_She didn't…_

Crowd's whisperings cease. The bulky teen touched a hand tentatively to his cheek. Red skin. Stung. Looked up to meet two pairs of eyes. Both with rebellious anger, both rising up…against him.

_No! No more eyes!_

_"Slam!"_

"Sam!"

_**Eyes flashed. Hands banged against green suddenly and came again, and again. Let me out…LET ME OUT!!!**_

___"Plit. Plit."_

She reached to the back of her neck. Red stained her fingertips. Now that was what both boys saw…red.

_You…you…_

_The eyes…she deserved it…stop looking at me like that!!!_

_**Kicked. Punched. Uncontrollable anger imprisoned. LET ME OUT!!! **_

_**Cracks formed.**_

___How dare you…_

_**Pieces fell…**_

__"Dash." Venom. The boy stood up. He got in front of the girl, still staring in disbelief at her hand. The taller boy looked down at him, but there was a fire in the blue.

A fire in the ocean.

_**LET ME OUT!!!**_

__"DASH!"

_**Shattered. Blue eyes levitated up and down with heavy breathing. Stood in the middle of the wreckage. Then…green anger.**_

__"BAM!" Whisperings roared, then became roars. Larger boy stumbled back, then fell. Smaller boy stood, now looking down at him. Still their eyes connected.

_Eyes…go away! Just go away!_

_How dare you! You-you-_

_**"Ah, Furie. Calm down, child."**_

_**Wild green eyes met blue ones. The hands inched towards a green mechanism.**_

_**"Calm down Furie, calm down."**_

___"BANG!"_

"Don't ever touch her again!"

Bruises exhibited themselves on the jock's face.

"Danny, stop!"

"No! He deserves it!" The girl tried to hold him back. His rage was beyond his control now.

_**"Furie, control yourself. Go back Furie, go back."**_

_**Green eyes tried to understand.**_

___"Bam!" _There was retaliation. Now both boys sprawled out on the floor, kicking, punching, and scratching.

_Stop looking at me like that! You don't understand! STOP IT!_

_**The hands had found the button.**_

_**"Goodbye Furie."**_

_**"ZAAAAAPPPPPP"**_

_**"IEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**_

___"I heard his Dad got laid off at the plant."_

_"You think that's why he's acting this way?"_

_"Either way, both boys are in for it now."_

_"Gotta admit, Fenton's holding his own."_

The boy looked at the taller boy, ducking before he got hit, and jumped before he got kicked. While he heard the whispers, he wondered whether the taller boy did.

_SHUT UP!_

The boy got angrier. His shots were now much more violent and powerful. He put too much in.

_YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!_

_**Green eyes stood, staring blankly. Then collapsed. Red sneakers treaded over and stood by his fallen form. **_

_**Green walls flicked back.**_

_**"It's alright Furie." Hands stroked black hair calmingly. The boy slept on, brow slowly uncreasing, face becoming less troubled.**_

_**"It's alright."**_

__The boy caught the larger's ones fist. The crowd gasped, then waited.

The boy's eyes caught the other's for a moment. They were defiant still, and yet…

He looked away.

_They're gone…they're gone…?_

_Breathe in…breathe out…_

__The fist was dropped. The boy stood against the lockers, helping Sam up, looking down, for the first time being humble.

He waited.

Everyone did.

And then the larger one, turned away, and walked down the hall. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving the two in the hallway.

_Don't talk back to me…_

"Danny, are you alright?" The boy caught the girl's wrist, tightly.

_Don't try to get something out of me…_

"Don't ever, **ever**, do that again Sam, do you hear me? Just don't." The boy said harshly, grip tightening. The girl blinked.

_I don't want to talk…_

"I'm…sorry Danny. I didn't mean-" He caught her and pulled her close. Her eyes widened.

_I don't want to do anything…_

"You could've gotten hurt a lot worse. So please, **please **don't do anything reckless." He whispered right next to her ear, then let her go, and vanished. She looked around confusedly, then sighed. Her cheeks were pink.

_So stop staring at me with those eyes…_

_Stop trying to get me to talk…_

_Stop defying me!!!_

The larger boy closed his locker, resting his head against the sleek metal.

The younger boy flew through the skies. He landed on a nearby roof, and gingerly touched his stomach. He sat down and rested.

Sometimes it was hard to control himself.

He had to work hard to maintain it…

_**A figure meditates…**_

_**---**_

**No notes. Too tired. Should be working. Am not. Uggggghhhhhh….**

**But unfortunately, I have to. Short things though. If you guys read some of my other stories (I hope), you'll probably know what this is referring to, just think it out a bit. I'll give a hint: Furie was just what I wrote for Furies, which were the Greek goddesses of vengeance. Hope that helps!**

**Artgirl4**


	34. Message

Hey there! It's a message from your neighborly stalker, Artgirl4!

I realized there was some unfinished business in TRoV, and decided I can't just leave this out.

Soooooo, I'm having a little competition. It's just for fun, and it's more a read-and-catch kind of thing. So here's what you have to do:

In TRoV, a largely occurring theme is The Doors, for each door opens to another element of Danny.

The thing was, there's something somewhat-subtly hidden about the door. Something that hints about what might be inside it…

So check back! If you can find the one thing that varies slightly about the doors, tell me what it is, and what you think it predicts for what's inside! In this fanfiction, nothing is quite coincidental, so even the silliest of things might prove to be useful!

Just so I'm clear, you have to tell me two things: 1)What characteristic or hidden phrase about the door hints about what's inside it, and 2) what exactly does it hint at?

The first person who guesses completely and absolutely correctly gets…well I don't know whether they would care much, but they can:

Give me something to write for Here's to the Hero, with full credits that they came up with it. (As long as it refrains from Slash, character death, etc.)

Order me to post a chapter up for any story on FF (Just what I need, more work), except for Trapped in the Ghost Zone, which I am sadly rewriting, so is on hiatus.

Or, anything you guys can come up with that I agree to.

Oh, what the hey, I'll make it the first 3 people! (That is if anyone wants to in the first place…)

I hope you guys will try it!

~~Artgirl4


	35. 56: Danger Ahead

**56. Danger Ahead**

"Samantha! Samantha!"

The girl didn't stir.

"**Samantha!**"

Her eyelids fluttered, and a piece of dark hair tumbled between her eyes, half covering one. Her eyebrow twitched, but her lips remained pursed and open ever so slightly. Her breath wafted in and out casually.

"For the sake of **Tom Sawyer!** Wake up Ms. Manson!"

A nearby boy snickered, elbowing his best friend that sat near him. The said friend glanced over nonchalantly, and shrugged in response. The dark-skinned boy leaned over.

"Oh come on Dan, you know it's funny! She's only been here for a week and she's already getting into your kind of trouble!" The boy blinked lazily at him, an impish smile already peeking through.

"My kind of trouble Tuck? I don't remember it being called "Danny Fenton" or anything." Tucker rolled his eyes as the teacher continued to rant in front of the snoozing girl.

"Hey, you think she's actually asleep?" A blonde, broad-shouldered student asked some others. A latino blinked and shook her head.

"No, she's just another trouble-maker." The girl said, her nose scrunching.

"Yeah, she's just a little attention-seeker." The blonde girl said, her face also wrinkled in disgust.

There was a scratching sound as a chair was pushed back. The teacher paused mid-scream and so did the students, turning to Danny. His chair was now away from his desk, and he stood up, slouching in an indifferent kind of way.

"Let me try Mr. Lancer." A corner of his mouth upturned into a small smirk, and the stunned teacher allow him to walk coolly over. As he sauntered his eyes glanced over at the group of gossipers, his smirk enlarging just a fraction. The latino and blonde simmered, while the blonde boy grit his teeth.

Mr. Lancer scratched his head as Danny took his spot, kneeling so he was face to face with the raven-haired girl. He leaned in, so the tips of his hair mingled with hers. Despite their annoyance, the group watched, as did the other students.

Danny reached forward with a hand, and carefully caught the girl's hair between his thumb and forefinger.

The girl silently tensed, then relaxed in a split second. No one noticed but Danny, who offered a secret smirk directly at the girl, which no one saw as well. Then his face was a mask of indifference again, and he carefully tucked the piece of hair behind her ear, leaning in and whispering softly, teasingly yet emotionlessly,

"Careful, drooling will overdo it." His lips brushed against her ear so gently it could've been an accident. The girl's eyebrows twitched once, twice, then stopped.

Danny, seemingly satisfied, pulled away and patted his hands together. Mr. Lancer, the teacher, stared at him in shock as he shrugged and walked back to his desk.

"Mr. Fenton, unless you actually plan on waking Ms. Manson, please do not volunteer again." Danny shrugged, clearly frustrating Mr. Lancer.

"I don't like waking up with hair in my eyes. It's pretty uncomfortable." He said, his eyes mocking but his tone light and his mouth a thin line. Mr. Lancer closed his eyes and sighed, then went back with his efforts to waken the girl-

-Only to find she was already stirring. They watched as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, and ran her hand through her hair, feeling the piece carefully tucked behind her ear.

"Oh, Thanks Dan! Remind me to gel that one down later." She grinned at him and his eyebrows raised, a ghost of a smile on his face.

Mr. Lancer opened his mouth, then shut it in frustration as the bell rung. Sam swung out of her seat, as did the other students, and was out the door before Mr. Lancer could say a word, as well as Danny and Tucker.

Danny leaned against the door, arms crossed, as the group of kids went by again.

"Ack. Loser love."

"Yeah, Fenton just wanted to touch her, that's all."

"Yeah." The latino scoffed. Danny's head bent down, shielding his eyes as he smirked. As her friends looked away, the latino's face became one of suppressed suffering, a longing look on her face as she stared at the ground.

As his friends looked away, the blonde also stared at the ceiling, his mouth twisting as he bit his cheek and a sour look started to appear on his face.

The blonde also pouted when they weren't looking, her eyebrows all scrunched up.

As they moved down the hall, Danny pushed himself off the wall and strolled casually. Some people pointed, some people stared, some whispered as he walked down, went to his locker and got his back pack. He slung it over his shoulder with one hand, holding the strap with his hand a little past so his bag rested against his back and continued to saunter, passing by classroom doors.

Tucker panted, running to catch up with his friend.

"Dude! Wait up!" He gasped out, latching onto Danny's shoulder. Danny glanced over at him and made room, and they walked together.

"You cutting class again today?" The boy tried to say it normally, but a little concern peeked through in his tone. Danny smiled softly, and patted the boy on the back.

"Something came up." He said, his tone closing the discussion. Tucker glanced nervously and worriedly at him, but clearly getting nothing in response, looked away.

"Lately you've only been showing up for a few classes." Danny shifted his backpack to the other shoulder.

"Stuff happens. My parents need me I guess." Tucker pouted.

"You still haven't told me what they've been up to. And when do they have time to call you anyway?" Danny shrugged and Tucker shoved him playfully.

"That whole shrugging thing is starting to annoy me man." Danny flashed him an impish grin.

"Girls dig it, Tuck."

"Yeah, well I ain't a-"

"Hey Dan! Tuck!" Tucker blinked as Sam tore down the hallway. He swerved around and stared at Danny, who grinned.

"Someday I will figure out how you do that."

"Do what?" Sam asked as she came up, her books held in one arm at her side and the other toying with her watch on her wrist.

"Nothing." Danny said, grinning.

"What's up?" Tucker asked. Sam looked at Danny's backpack and she shook her head, sighing.

"You're leaving again?" Danny gave a sheepish smile.

"Have to. My folks need a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Sam said conspiratorially. She leaned in, and he did as well.

"I don't know. A few errands here and there. They're really busy, but it's okay. My sister took a lot of detailed notes so-"

"Throughout the entirety of her high school career and even in college. Dan just studies from them." Sam pulled back and raised an eyebrow.

"She sounds…smart."

"She is." Both boys replied exasperatedly. Sam laughed softly, and Danny smiled.

"You should laugh like that more often." He said, and she smirked.

"If I did, they might kick me out of Gothsville." She said teasingly. Tucker nodded thoughtfully.

"Yes, yes, the amazing, mysterious, Gothsville. When will you take me there?" Sam looked him up and down.

"When you realize they sell stuff in black, maybe." She answered bluntly. Danny laughed.

"Yeah, I guess happiness is a bit too much for your group isn't it?" Danny smiled. Then a bit of coldness seeped into his gaze, and his eyes held Sam's. Sam couldn't pull away, and her eyes widened a little.

"But then," He started, his tone now entirely different from the teasing and playful one it had been before,

"there are a lot of things they don't approve of that you can…could, do, right Sam?" He smirked softly, and Sam stared.

"Sam? Sam?" Tucker's voice registered, and Sam snapped out of her trance.

"Uh, yeah, um, I gotta go now, classes and all. Bye Danny, bye Tucker!" She ran in the opposite direction, as Danny and Tucker reached the doors of the building.

"Sam, wait!" She turned around. Danny smiled.

"You might want to stop playing around with your watch! You might break it, and it looks expensive!" Sam froze, and stared at him searchingly. Danny smiled innocently.

"Yeah, that's true, it looks pretty delicate." Tucker said. Sam looked at him, then Danny with a troubled look on her face, then shook her head as if to ward something away. Then she turned and ran again.

Tucker whistled.

"Maybe that whole "Chick's digging it" thing has some merit man. She's into you! I mean, its only been two weeks and she's been all over us." Danny grinned.

"Aw, she's just friendly Tuck!"

"No man, she's goth. Apparently, a goth with the hots for **you!**" Danny rolled his eyes.

Tucker smiled mischeviously.

"And apparently, you like her back Dude." Danny gave him a bemused smile.

"I do, do I?" Tucker grinned and nodded.

"I've seen the way you look at her!" Danny's steps seemed to slow. His smile froze in place.

"The way I look…?"

"Come on, anyone can spot it! You stare at her with this intensity-" Danny relaxed.

"-but also you seem like you're captivated by her!" He tensed again.

"I mean, she's definitely unique, but if that girl was a sorceress, you wouldn't be the victim, you'd be the voodoo doll of the victim!" For the first time, Danny had a truly alarmed look in his eyes. Then he masked it and he smiled easily, though a little strained.

"I think you're taking this a little too far Tuck." Tucker smirked.

"Oh really? Then how come one of the only classes you do attend before you go God-knows-where is the **only **class we have with Sam?" Danny smiled, his head bending down to mask his eyes with his hair like before.

"You're right about one thing Tuck. That girl…definitely unique. See ya tomorrow." He opened the doors and strode out into the sunlight. Tucker shook his head, a confused smile on his face.

--

Sam strode down, into the girls bathroom. She went into the bathroom, put back up the "Out of Order" sign on the stall, and sat on the closed toilet seat. Then she casually pressed a button on her watch.

"Scan….initiating." A small voice bleeped. A few seconds passed, and then the voice beeped again, "Scan complete, area secure." Sam sighed in relief.

"Face scan…initiating." A small green light ran over her face from the watch.

Face identified. Sam Manson. Opening program." Sam removed her watch and placed it on her lap as she sat indian style on the toilet seat so no one would see her legs. The watch's face turned upside down, then the metal back part of the clock unfolded from a circle into a thin screen, which then righted itself upwards and faced Sam.

Sam faced the screen as it flickered to life.

"Samantha." A gruff voice called. Sam smiled playfully.

"Hello Kay."

"I assume you have something to report?" The operative said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"The suspect left the building again. He always leaves at this time."

"Any reasons for it? Is his time frame in connection to the messiah's?"

Sam shook her head.

"Unknown. Maybe if I had more classes with him-"

"Denied. You can't get overly close."

"But only **one **class?!"

"You're in quite a few classes with his affiliates. Has he shown any suspicion towards you?"

Sam slumped and she groaned.

"I have no idea. I mean, Kay, one minute he's innocent, laughing, and then he has this whole cool act he displays for the whole school. He acts like he's in charge, and everyone seems to know it!"

"Hypnotic Suggestion?" Kay asked.

"No! Not like that!" Sam shook her head and groaned again.

"No one knows, I'm pretty sure his friend doesn't even. I mean, he just walks and talks like he owns the whole building, and no one even tries to stop him! The jocks and cheerleaders make fun of him, but they never actually **do **anything to him! Never approach him, and he's always mocking them too!"

The operative blinked.

"And," Sam continued,

"He's always suggesting these things to me, that he knows who I am and what I'm after! Like my watch, he said I was going to break it, and that it looked expensive-"

"What? He has knowledge of our technology?!" Kay said, looking alarmed.

"I don't know!" Sam exploded.

"The way he says it, it could easily be that he was just commenting, but I swear, I **swear **he's smirking, then it's gone and I keep thinking I've just dreamt it all!"

Kay shook his head as Sam breathed heavily, covering her face with one hand.

"Sam, you're the most put-together of all of the White Kids. If you want, we could send Valerie in to help-"

"No, Red's a little too volatile. You guys need to keep her in training a little longer. I can handle this."

"Well alright. You've got another month to collect information. Good luck Operative."

Sam nodded, smiling.

"Oh yes, we are sending you more equipment. It will arrive by tomorrow I believe."

"Thanks Kay. Mardi Gras ending transmission."

The screen blanked out and the watch reverted to its orginal form. Sam sighed and walked out of the stall and into the hall.

--

"Strong. Strong-willed, and independent. Sarcastic, but only to hide her softness. Funny, and casual. No sense of respect. Skilled." Danny murmured to himself, walking down the street. A few people stared at the high school student walking home, but he completely disregarded them.

"Vegetarian. Nose scrunches when irritated. Not entirely able to hide nerves. Loves outdoors." Every word was well timed with his pace.

"Face lights up at nature. Hates obstruction of nature and ***surprisingly*** killing, likes home economics, hates social studies, likes to write."

Danny stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. He looked up at the sky and shook his head, then continued.

"Violet-eyed. Pale complexion. Black hair, usually worn in small pony-tail towards upper left. Smells like cherry blossoms." He stopped abruptly again. His face immediately became troubled.

"Smells like cherry blossoms…" He brought his hand to his nose and sniffed it. Cherry blossoms. His face became even more troubled and he shook his head in frustration.

"Goth. Wears eyeliner, mascara, and purple eyeshadow. Illuminates eyes. Likes dark things. Long eyelashes, with or without mascara. Expressive eyes. Dark lips with purple or black lipstick. Supposed to come off creepy, actually attractive." Danny grunted and frowned. His pace became harsher, and he started pounding the pavement as he walked.

"Attractive. Pretty. Elegant. Dark, but good taste in clothes. Is actually attractive, so what? Girls can look good! Looks nice. Good. Pretty." He stomped one last time on the last stair into his house. He leaned his forehead against the door and sighed.

"Admit it Fenton. She's beautiful."

Danny walked into his house, the big neon sign on top of his home flashing over him.

"I'm home!" He called out, strolling downstairs. He dropped his bag on the couch on the way.

"Mom! Dad!" He called out. He walked over to the staircase and put his hand by the railing. He pressed his hand softly against a specific spot, and a panel opened. He quickly tapped a code into it, and the floor opened beneath him. However, Danny floated above it, and slowly descended.

"Show off." Jack grumbled as his son landed. Danny smirked and grabbed a juice box his mother threw at him.

"How's it going?" Maddie turned to her son from the large plasma screen that had been in front of her, showing various readings and a bird's-eye view of Amity.

"Well. We have several disturbances on these planes of dimension, but none have crossed into ours yet." As she spoke, more readings appeared by her hand as she gestured.

"What's the countdown?" A portal appeared beside him. None of them paid it any attention as a robed figure glided out of it. He threw away his hood with his free hand, and revealed his gnarled blue face.

"About 3 hours Daniel. The fight hasn't transcended yet, but if you are not there when it begins, they will destroy the northern section of your town." Danny nodded, sipping his juice box.

"Then I'll be there. Jazz, I want you out this time."

"What?!" The girl with long orange hair glared at her brother, a bandage still lying above her right eyebrow.

"Danny, I'll be fine. It was just a scratch, besides-"

"Mardi will be there. I'm sure." Danny said, running his fingers over the screen towards the northern section. In a quieter tone so none of them heard, he murmured,

"School lets out then."

At the name, his parents and sister all stiffened.

"But-"

"Mardi cannot be allowed to know your identity Jasmine. It's imperative, considering how close she is to knowing already."

Jazz pouted and sat down in her chair, taking off her strap that held her ecto-gun and protected her chest.

"Danny, have you gotten any lead on her identity?" Danny shook his head, expression blank. The others slumped significantly, while Clockwork glanced at Danny bemusedly. They had given up asking Clockwork for her identity long before, and Danny never seemed to know anything.

"She's part of the organization White Kids, subsidiary of Guys in White. She's their top agent and she's specifically designed to-"

"Terminate the messiah. I know, Mom." Danny cut in. Maddie looked away.

Danny snorted.

"Government agents. They'll never realize that the messiah is not one who can be put to sleep." He brushed his hands over the map of Amity aimlessly.

"The messiah will not stop until something ends. They cannot stop that. **Everything **must end." Danny slammed the flat of his fist against the screen, facing it and leaning against it. Jazz and his parents looked at him with concern as he sighed.

"Everything will end. Someday, sometime." Clockwork agreed, floating next to Danny. He put his hand on his shoulder.

"Now, you are beginning to think like a savior." Danny gave him a feeble smile.

"Savior of what, Clockwork?"

"Only you know that."

Danny smiled.

"You'll know, Clockwork. Someday, sometime."

**If you're wondering, it doesn't end here. Part 2 is on its way, but its REALLY LONG so I decided to split it. I thought maybe it'd be fun to do one of the FF Drabbles list numbers, but seriously, if any of you have a random word, GIMME!!! The words the list have aren't all that interesting I'm afraid.**

**I have no excuse for my long break from FF. I really don't. I apologize to those of you who have been waiting. I'm really, really sorry.**

**Artgirl4**


	36. A Talk with The Cast

**Alright guys, here it is plain and simple. I needed to write some things out. Now, before you protest I want all of you to know I have nothing against the topics discussed in this interview. Everyone is free to write what they want to write. Besides, these are just things I thought it would be funny for the Cast to say. So here it goes!**

**A Talk with the Cast**

Artgirl4: Hey everybody! I can see Danny from my chair!

Danny: That's cuz I'm sitting on your bed Art.

Artgirl4: Well yeah, but that obviously means I'm going insane, so I thought it fit to inform everyone.

Danny: Sure. Go ahead. Why am I here again?

Artgirl4: I've been having writer's block. I-

Danny: When are you NOT having writer's block?

Artgirl4: ***glares*** Funny ghost boy. Let's see where that gets you the next time I DO write.

Danny: ***Gulps***

Artgirl4: As I was about to explain, Danny's here because I am, besides insane, wanting to discuss aspects of fanfiction. Who better to talk it out with than the one many a fanfiction writer talks about?

Danny: I'd bow, but I believe that'd be overkill.

Artgirl4: (Picks up a pencil, twirls it between her fingers) So Danny, anything you'd like to start with.

Danny: Well, I believe Sam has something to say.

Sam: Yeah I do.

Artgirl4: (Playing with pencil) Do tell.

Sam: Okay, how many fanfics have the words "hilarity ensues"? I mean, come on, can't they just put it in the humor category? Why must they ALWAYS put that at the end of a possibly interesting summary?!

Artgirl4: (Doing the "bendy pencil" trick) Yes, yes, the great mysteries of life. Why must hilarity always "ensue"? Why is it impossible for hilarity to "pop" or "crackle" or "flounce"?

Danny: And here I though you were going for the rice krispies image. Then you go ahead and add "flounce".

Artgirl4: (Ignoring Danny) Indeed, indeed. Why must anything ever "ensue" at all?

Sam: I don't think I'd be arguing as much if "darkness ensued" or something.

Artgirl4: That would make for an interesting story.

Danny: Can you stop using the psychologist voice?

Artgirl4: (Still ignoring Danny) Anything else to add Sam?

Sam: Nope, not really. Wait, what about people who say, "Kay not ready for flames"? If you weren't READY, why'd you post up a fanfiction?! You're supposed to be willing to accept criticism!

Artgirl4: Yes, why must they do that?

Danny: Well that's the pot calling the kettle black.

Artgirl4: I've gotten tired of this pencil (chucks the pencil super fast at Danny's head, who yelps as it hits him). Anything else Sam?

Sam: No I'm good. Tucker?

Tucker: Why can't I ever be OOC? Of course Danny and Sam, often times they're OOC, but me? Noooo, ol' Tucker's always the geek!

Artgirl4: Not true. (Picks up a pen) I've read many a fic where you're the to-the-rescue, charming, clever-

Danny: (Scoffs, gets hit in the head with a super-fast pen that ricochets off his skull and falls against bed)

Tucker: When you say to-the-rescue, was it using the PDA or some other form of technology? Or saving Danny and Sam's relationship?

Artgirl4: Well-

Tucker: When you say charming, do you mean, hey-he-think-he's-funny-let's-hang-out-with-him-and-laugh-at-him-not-with-him kind of charming?

Artgirl4: That's very specific-

Tucker: And when you say clever, do you mean constantly spouting out facts or using his brains to do something stupid but at the same time smart?

Artgirl4: SHUT UP AND ACCEPT THE COMPLIMENTS!

Tucker: (Voice quavers) I rest my case.

Sam: Hey Tuck, you should be happy. At least you get to stay true to yourself. I'm the one who ends up abusing herself. Or crying into a pillow.

Danny: Or crying into me. (Gets smacked with a pillow) Art! Stop it!

Artgirl4: Not me. I'm at the desk. You got hit by your lover-girl, lover-boy. Hey! I like it!

Sam: (Ignoring Artgirl4) And that's only half of it. Other times I'm pregnant and moody. Or I'm a conventional housewife. Or I'm under some stupid spell by some stupid something-or-other and…in love with Dash.

Tucker: Oh yeah! I remember those ones! (Laughs, gets pegged by three pillows at the same time. Groans)

Artgirl4: I kinda like the housewife ones. Sorry Sammy dear (sees Sam raise the pillow, shakes a finger) Ahem, writer or your stories remember?

Danny: When do I get to talk about my issues?

Artgirl4: Honey, we don't have enough time in the world.

Danny: (Glares)

Jazz: I have something to say. Why am I always psycho?

Artgirl4, Danny, Tucker, and Sam: You're in-character.

Jazz: Hey!

Artgirl4: Well look at it this way Jazz-the-beat-I-love (glances at Jazz, who glares) doesn't work? I was trying to work away from Jazzy-pants. Anyway, even if sometimes you are psycho, overbearing, nagging-

Jazz: You can stop.

Artgirl4: I know. As I was saying, nagging, loud, nosy, but you're still constantly there for Danny. You even help him patch up after a big baddy.

Jazz: Oh yeah, about that. How come I'm never faint of heart? I always, ALWAYS end up being the expert with the bandages. I though I was studying psychology, not first aid!

Artgirl4: You're a smart girl. You can multi-task. Anything else?

Jazz: (Mutters) Whatever.

Artgirl4: Good girl. Danny?

Danny: What?

Artgirl4: Anything to say?

Danny: You're actually asking?

Artgirl4: No, I'm speaking to my bed, utterly insane. Oh, wait, yes I am. I'm still asking though.

Danny: Well I'm irritated with all the slash.

Artgirl4: Oh yes, the slash. That was interesting. Not that I read it.

Everyone: (Looks at Artgirl4 curiously)

Artgirl4: Well it was hot!

Danny: (Face palms)

Artgirl4; I'm just kidding. I mean, geez, Vlad's like, old!

Danny: Exactly!

Artgirl4: And you can't make out with yourself!

Danny: Hear, hear!

Artgirl4: I have nothing to say about the Dash ones.

Danny: Amen-wait, what?

Artgirl4: Okay, okay the Dash ones are silly too. I mean, come on, "I'm hiding my affection for you by pummeling to a pulp, and making you eat my underwear. Don't misunderstand, I really care."

Danny: Thank you.

Sam: Also, ME and Dash?! It was one stupid kiss to break the spell Danny was under! What's with the sudden incoming of "Ever since I touched those violet lips, I've been enchanted"?! I mean, come on, Dash doesn't even know what enchanted means! He doesn't even know what color violet is!!

Artgirl4: I'm sensing some aggression. Dash, anything to add?

Dash: They both taste like geeks.

Artgirl4: Thank you Dash.

Tucker: At least you guys HAVE a love interest!

Artgirl4: Well you're availability gives you a lot of options.

Tucker: Such as?

Artgirl4: There's Danny sister for instance.

Danny: (Sputters)

Tucker: Oh yeah, that's TON of fun (rolls eyes) I get nearly beaten to a pulp by an overprotective halfa.

Jazz: Do I get any say in this?

Artgirl4: No Aladdin-and-Jasmine. (Looks at Jazz) Still not working? Darn. Well there's also Dani.

Tucker: Same problem. Over protective halfa. Not to mention she's SO much younger than me.

Dani: He's SO much older than me.

Artgirl4: Ah yes, the old-man theory. Well all backs go out eventually Tuck. How about the bountiful bounty of OC's created just for you?

Tucker: They're either too perfect, or too not-interested.

Artgirl4: SHUT UP AND ACCEPT THE OC'S!

Tucker: (Shrinks, voice quavers) Yes m'am.

Artgirl4: I'm tired guys. I think we're done with Loonyville for a while. Thanks to all of my readers for reading!

Everyone: Thanks!

**Once again! Nothing against what's discussed. Most of these aren't my actual opinion anyway!**


	37. The Calling

**Please don't ask me about updates. I'm working on it. That's all I'm willing to give.**

**The Calling**

"Danny! Danny!" He ignored the voice calling his name. He pushed rudely past people on the sidewalk, pounding a permanent way into the concrete and caring less and less about their gasps of surprise.

"Danny! Danny, wait up!" He wasn't going to wait. He had been patient for far too long, and now he was done with it.

"Danny, stop **please**." No. He wouldn't stop. Every molecule in his body hummed. His transformation was at the edge of his fingertips. He old had to reach out and grab it, except not even! All he had to do was graze the very edge of that power and he'd lose it. He was moving so swiftly he almost felt as if he were flying. And still his entire body shook.

"Danny! I know you're upset, but please!" No! No more! This was too easy, too good a feeling to stop. He felt alive, his soul not tethered. He could'v sworn he was floating an inch off the ground. Those in his path were shoved aside, and he didn't care! He walk was smooth and unfaltering, and his body groaned in pain and shouted joyfully at the same time. He didn't want it to end.

And then she caught his arm. His spell was broken.

The people behind him glared at him, grumbling about his manners. The brisk beat of his feet were ruined, no longer in time with his heart. He felt the need to move again, and yet he wasn't, and this time his body ached.

"Let go of me." He commanded through gritted teeth. Sam shook her head and it angered him. His whole body trembled.

"Danny, please listen to me. Don't be rash." He gave a mirthless chuckle. Listen? He didn't have time to listen! There was something important waiting for him, and he was going to finish it, and then he was going to rise to the skies. He was going to be free again.

"Danny! Stop blanking out on me!" He could do whatever he wanted.

"Let go." He said once more, yanking his arm out of her strong grip. She gasped, and reached for him one more time. He slipped out of her grip more smoothly, and found it rather amusing, another chuckled escaping his lips.

"I told you to let go." She glared at him. He smiled. He didn't care. He had something he needed to do. He turned to leave.

"Danny, wait!" That stupid voice! Why couldn't she stop talking, stop haunting him?! He growled and increased his pace, trying to find his beat but losing it. Now bumps into strangers led to bumps back. Elbows knocked him off track. He was no longer a part of the sidewalk, moving seamlessly within its boundaries.

And she still followed him.

He found the place he was looking for, the familiar sign glancing up at him loud and clear. It woke him up far too much for his liking. He could hear Sam catching up with him. Danny glanced at the alleyway near FentonWorks.

She was panting when she caught up with him. He was sure his heart was banging against his chest as well, but he could no longer hear it. The sound had faded in his ears, replaced with her voice. Nothing but her voice.

She glanced up from her resting position, hands on knees. He grabbed her arm and she quirked an amused smile.

"Ironic huh? Now who's grabbing who?" He didn't smile. He knew what he had to do was in that building, but he couldn't have her following him inside. He had to do this alone.

"Sam, leave." She straightened, glaring at him intensely. Instead of cold indifference, his pounding heart gave a pang.

"So you remember my name now. But only two syllable sentences I see. Why not try saying 'please'. I'm pretty sure that worked before." It wasn't funny. His heart was working double-time, and each icy word from her made him feel uncomfortable. He longed for that trance on the sidewalk, when it had been just him and the air that he had been a part of.

His grip on her tightened. She shook her arm, but she could not get loose. But she was unrelenting, her gaze never leaving his, eyes boring into his own. It unnerved him, which angered him. Why did she get such a rise out of him?!

"Please." He hissed. He released her and she let it fall to her side slowly, acting as if it was diseased. He fought to keep the emotions from showing on his face.

"Leave." She shook her head. She seemed to refuse to speak, now seeing that he wouldn't listen.

"Sam." She glowered, eyes flashing with a furiousity that both intrigued him and annoyed him. Her eyes looked wild and interesting, just like the skies and air he had felt so drawn to.

Was that it? He was drawn to her?

He grabbed her elbow again, and before she could protest, he had her against the alley wall. Then his lips were pressed against hers, and there were no protests.

He opened his eyes for a moment, forcing them to look and see her reaction. Lightning flashed from amethyst depths, but there was a struggle. She hid her confusion and fear expertly, him only getting a glance. Her eyes never left his, promising pain in the near future.

His eyes drifted close. Ahh, so this was it. The skies and wind ruffled his hair, calling to him, trying to remind him of a mission.

But he had already found something more alluring.


	38. Dream A Little Dream

**This takes place long after Phantom Planet and Danny, Sam, and the gang have grown up. I'm messing with the timeline a bit here, so Phantom Planet didn't occur until the gang was 19 or so, so Sam and Danny didn't actually become a couple until afterwards. I'm guessing there were a lot of awkward moments before PP…**

**Dream A Little Dream**

Clockwork watched the time portal, having already checked the time stream. The Observants were out for the day, ruling over another ghost' case for the time being. He allowed himself a small smile, and opened a time portal, knowing his friend had requested it. Now, he was entering, stepping through, coming down…

3…2….1…

"Clockwork!" Danny's voice called from down the corridor. Two pairs of footsteps, strong, confident ones, and then daintier, more hesitant ones, sounded from down the hall. Clockwork allowed the small shield he held over the entrance to be broken, and the two figures entered the room.

Danny bounded into the room, grinning like a fool. Clockwork smiled warmly at his visitors, knowing exactly what had happened the previous night. Jazz, he was sure, would be smiling as well, if it wasn't for the small fact that she was currently in awe of the building. She seemed to recognize some of the antiques that littered his castle, and she stared at them in awe.

"The preservation of these paintings are flawless..." Jazz murmured in admiration, not daring to touch.

"In a castle where time had stopped, preservation is never truly required. Everything stays fresh and new, or, if it came that way, old." Clockwork said, his voice tinged with amusement. Danny came closer.

"If only we had a fridge like that." He grinned even wider and greeted Clockwork, hugging the old man without reservations. Clockwork still felt a bit of surprise at this, even though his charge had long ago started doing it. He had grown incredibly fond of the boy, something he had known would happen and yet liked to experience all the more.

"Hello Jasmine." He said, feeling himself switch into his young man form. Jazz realized she was staring at his home, and blushed a bit in embarrassment, shaking the man's hand as he changed to a child. If she was surprised, she did a good job of hiding it. Clockwork nodded in approval.

"It's nice to finally meet you." Jazz said, smiling sweetly. He smiled back. "Likewise." He turned, now addressing the both of them.

"Now what brings you here? Shouldn't you be making plans, hmm?" He was awarded with a bright flush on Danny's face, and he saw Jazz smirking as well. There was one thing they shared; a love of teasing her younger brother.

"Yeah, well, ahem," He coughed nervously into his hand, blushing.

"I was, I mean we were, wondering, well, would you like, I mean, could you, well I'd be honored if-" Clockwork watched his stumblings with a twinkling in his eyes. Jazz look at him, squinting, but with an amused smile.

"Don't you know what he's going to ask anyway?" Clockwork shrugged.

"I'd rather give him the experience. And I'd be more honored to here the words come from his mouth then my own." Jazz looked at him with a new sense of respect.

"Clockwork, will you be the ring bearer?" Danny suddenly shouted, hands clenched and looking like he might explode from stress and embarrassment. Clockwork chuckled and nodded.

"I'd be delighted. Though I'd have to change a bit I suppose." Without warning, he morphed in front of them, becoming a young man around Danny's age, with a scar going from the top of his eyes and continuing from the bottom in a lightning bolt fashion. His pupils were red, and his hair was a light brown. He was fair-skinned. Danny blinked and smiled wider, if possible. Jazz looked a little stunned, then quite happy.

"Phew! I was afraid we'd have to invite only close friends, but now this will work great!" Clockwork smiled, glancing down at himself. It had been awhile since he had last disguised himself. He was wearing a dark, navy blue suit with a pale blue shirt underneath and a black tie. He supposed he was lucky it hadn't been purple, sticking true to his color scheme. However, he could not change his eyes nor the scar on his face, and neither could he remove the small burn scar resting on his chest of a circle with a jagged line going through it. It was these things that were meant to remind him at all times he had a duty.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Go on." He shooed them off with a kind, grandfatherly look about his face, and Danny hugged the man one more time, Jazz and him exchanging polite nods before walking back.

"Ah, Daniel, if you don't mind," Both Danny and Jazz stopped, turning around to face him questioningly.

"May I speak with Jasmine alone for a moment?" Jazz blinked, but, after assuring her brother she'd be fine, he went on ahead, and she came back towards him.

"Umm, you wanted me?" Clockwork chuckled, and waved his hand in front of him. A time screen appeared, and Jazz gasped, watching Danny as he made his way down the hall.

"I'd hate to have you get caught in the crossfire." Jazz looked at him confusedly.

"What-" Clockwork put a finger to his lips in a shushing motion, an impish smile playing on his face. Jazz smiled, in a 'I-don't-understand-but-for-now-I'll-play-along' kind of way, then turned back to the screen in time to watch her brother step into a time portal.

**A **time portal. Not **their **time portal.

"Wha-It was the one on the left! I told him to remember!" She said angrily, then anxiously,

"Where is he going? I mean, when?!" Clockwork gestured for her to continue watching, and she turned to the screen.

---

_5 Years previous…_

_ Sam groaned, listening to Tucker go on about the lecture they had had in his college. They had come back together to hang out again, not to talk all about their colleges. Danny would be arriving pretty soon on his train, and they had to hurry up if they planned on meeting him in time with his family._

_ "I gotta tell you Sam, I am loving college! All the parties-"_

_ "That you haven't been invited to." Sam finished with a smirk. Tucker glared at her._

_ "I __**have **__been invited, thank you. My roomie has made it into an art form, and he's promised to introduce me to a few hot seniors, if you know what I mean." Tucker wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, and Sam smacked him on the head._

_ "Ouch! What did I-?!" _

_ "Tucker, it's summer. We're back in Amity Park. I'd like to relax, hang out with my friends,-"_

_ "Hang out with __**Danny **__you mean." Tucker said, still wiggling his eyebrows. Sam looked at him dryly._

_ "I missed __**both **__of you." Tucker looked at her in mock-shock, then got all teary-eyed._

_ "I can't believe it! Sammy, our little goth, actually admitted she missed me! I missed you too Sammmmmy!" Tucker wailed, throwing his arms around Sam who tried hard to keep a straight face. Her lips turned up at the corners despite her best efforts._

_ "Hey Tuck, I hope you aren't making a move on my girl!" A familiar voice shouted teasingly. Both Tucker and Sam went rigid with shock, as they turned around. Danny grinned at them._

_**In Clockwork's tower…**_

__"That idiot! Granted, Sam back then and Sam now haven't changed much, but, but, that **idiot!"** Jazz ranted, as Clockwork chuckled. She turned on him with a look of rage on her face.

"And **you!** Shouldn't you be stopping this, or interfering or something?! He's not in the right time! What if he reveals something, I mean, he practically has!" Jazz was close to tearing her hair out. Clockwork, put a hand on her shoulder, bemused with how accusatory she was acting with him.

"Jasmine, all will be fine. Why don't you continue to watch?" Jazz looked at him suspiciously, then turned back to the screen.

_5 Years previous…_

_ Sam stared. It had only been a few semesters since she last saw him. The gang had got back for Christmas, but still, he looked...different!_

_ Danny had gotten muscular since his ghost fighting, but now he seemed even more in shape. He seemed even taller than before too! Not to mention he was wearing a shirt…with his Danny Phantom Emblem on it! Did he want to just go shouting around, "Hey, I'm a ghost!"?_

_ That wasn't the only thing wrong, though, she thought. He was back before he was scheduled to arrive at the station. Had he decided to surprise them?_

_ And then the largest piece of her confusion, he had called Sam his girl! __**His **__girl! Sometimes he'd be teasing and call her his Sammy or Sammy-kins, but he had said it like it was nothing out of the ordinary this time! What was going on?!_

_ "Danny?!" He must've seen her shock (it was pretty apparent) and he frowned._

_ "What, not expecting to see me so soon?" He grinned at Tucker._

_ "I guess you heard the news, or you wouldn't be putting your arms around her. At least, for your sake, I hope not." He seemed half-serious, half-joking, and he even narrowed his eyes and flashed them green. Tucker, slowly recovering from the same shock as Sam, removed his arms as she gasped and checked the area._

_ "Are you nuts?! What if someone had seen that?!" She hissed, punching him in the arm. Danny blinked, then grinned._

_ "Oh, I get it. You want my eyes all to yourself, huh Sammy?" She looked at him confusedly as he approached her. Had she missed something here?! Tucker was gawking in open disbelief as Danny wrapped his arm around her waist in a casual manner, pulling her to him. Sam went red. Was he flirting?!_

_ "No! I didn't mean it that way! I mean, ugh! Let go of me!" She squirmed out of his grip, instantly missing his warmth. She blushed. She was in love with him, that much she knew, but suddenly he was acting all weird. They hadn't seen each other in months for god's sake!_

_ Danny looked at her, slightly hurt. She gaped, as did Tucker, who was shaking his head._

_ "Did I miss something here?!" He asked, looking at each of them repeatedly, searching for answers._

_**In Clockwork's tower…**_

__"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Jazz banged her head against the wall next to the time portal. Clockwork laughed softly. She glared at him.

"You think this is soooo funny, wait!" She blinked, then stared at him as if suddenly realizing something.

"You **do **think this is so funny!" She gaped at him as he allowed himself another chuckle or two.

"As a time-keeper, you do have to allow yourself a moment of entertainment now and again." He admitted, smiling softly. She gazed at him in wonder, now realizing his cunning, and turned back to the screen to watch the rest of the show, subdued.

_5 Years previous…_

_ Danny glanced between Tucker and Sam, and then smiled._

_ "Oh. You haven't told him yet, huh?"  
_

_ "Told him what?" Both Sam and Tucker asked together, Sam nearly shouting with annoyance at not knowing what in the world he was talking about, and Tucker in a suspicious yet weary tone._

_ Danny grinned, taking Sam's shouting as her nerves to announce her engagement to her best friend. He took her hand._

_ "Do you want to do it?" Sam looked at him in disbelief. What in the *__**bleep**__* was he talking about?! She shook her head._

_ "You tell him." She said, clearly giving up. Danny smiled, squeezing her hand._

_ "Tell me what?!" Tucker nearly screamed, receiving stares from many a passerby._

_ Sam, remembering her water bottle in her bag, took it out, took a long sip, to relieve her dry throat from both the sight of Danny and her screaming. She wanted to calm down, and figure out what was going on._

_ "We're engaged." She spat out the water, coughing, and Danny glanced down at her in worry and amusement._

_ "WHAT?!" Tucker shouted, not caring about the stares, but now completely thrown for a loop._

_ "WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Danny blinked in surprise, having not expected this large of a reaction._

_ "Well, what did you expect Tuck, we've been dating for like 5 years now." Sam coughed harder and he patted her on the back, asking her if she was alright._

_ "YOU'VE BEEN WHAT?!" Danny looked at him, clearly puzzled, and opened his mouth to reply when Sam put up a hand, done choking, and silenced him._

_ "Okay, let's get this straight. First of all, Danny, I have honestly __**no **__idea what you're talking about, and Tucker, we have __**not **__been dating, so I don't know where you got that idea." Danny looked her in shock. She could tell she had hurt him, but she didn't understand __**why**__. She had only told the truth. Sure, she __**wanted **__to maybe go out with him, but __**engaged?**__! Where did __**that **__come from?!_

_ It gave her a little thrill to think about it._

_ Tucker stared at them with the largest look of doubt on his face, and then slowly, a sly smile appeared._

_ "Ohhh. I get it." Sam looked at him._

_ "Get what?! There's nothing to get!" She shouted. Danny looked at both of them, clearly puzzled._

_ "You guys are in on this, aren't you? You decided it'd be fun to trick me, and now you're making it seem like you're a couple when you're really not!" He declared, glowing with triumph at his discovery. Sam opened and closed her mouth like a fish, and Danny stared at him as Tucker's eyebrows scrunched up._

_ "Or, that's what you __**want **__me to think! You actually pretended to be a couple when you're not but that's all part of the pretending too and in fact you actually __**are **__together!" Sam just stared at him._

_ "Are you an idiot?" However, Tucker was no longer listening._

_ "Wait, but Danny's far too clueless and not-in-tune with his own feelings for you guys to have been dating for so long-"_

_ "Hey, I resent that! I'll have you know I got past that quite a while ago!" Sam now stared at Danny, face going red at his announcement. Danny, though he currently had no idea what was going on, felt that he should at least set the record straight for one point. _

_ Tucker smirked._

_ "Then prove it! Kiss her!" He pointed at Danny and issued the challenge with a dramatic flourish. Danny glared and Tucker grinned, confident that here he had outwitted his two scheming friends. _

_ "Tuuuucker…" Sam growled, preparing her fist for a pounding. Imagine her surprise when Danny grabbed her by the shoulders, and firmly pressed his lips to hers!_

_ Sam stared at his closed eyes, feeling herself go rigid. This was, without a doubt, no fake-out make-out, and she began wondering if this was the same Danny from a few semesters ago. This one had almost outright declared a love for her she hadn't known existed, then went as far as to completely fabricate a relationship she had never before known existed as well. And she was very well aware that when they were 14 they had been nothing but the best of friends, if not with some hidden feelings on her part._

_ And now he was kissing her, and she felt light-headed, but she was determined not to give in, even as his arms wrapped around her waist. She didn't kiss him back though she felt him trying to get her to, and she glanced sidelong at Tucker, who looked as if he had gotten strapped to an electric chair and been zapped. She smirked into the kiss, then noticed he was looking at her with something akin to betrayal. _

_ Now he though Danny was telling the truth, and they had been lying to him this whole time!_

_ Managing not to groan in annoyance into the kiss (that was either a very long one, or she was thinking too hard), she noticed his hands were roaming. Her face was heating up yet again, and she was in no position to slap him._

_ And then the cheerier, less dry side of her put forth a comment. The guy she had loved for possibly 5 years was, albeit while a bit delusional, kissing her. Why not enjoy it for a bit, that is until he pulled away and they got the whole thing figured out?_

_ And then she realized Danny was a great kisser. Just, really great. Like he knew exactly what he was doing, and what she liked. Or maybe he was ecto-blasting her body. But she wasn't incinerated, so, why not?_

_ She kissed him back._

_**In Clockwork's tower…**_

__"Holy-" Clockwork put a hand over her mouth as Jazz cursed. He then removed it as she thanked him politely, then she continued to stare at the time screen. Clockwork didn't blame her.

Jazz was in hysterics. Literally, she didn't know whether to stress out or burst out laughing. Her brother was kissing the love of his life from five years ago without even knowing it! Did that count as cheating? This thought made her giggle. Then laugh.

"Oh lookie! Now she's kissing him back!" Jazz pointed, and this brought forth new peals of laughter. Clockwork was still smiling wryly, a look she never would've thought could be placed on the Time Master's face.

Quietly he placed her hands on his shoulder. His human form hands were slightly chilly, but they brought her back from her happy place. A few tears escaped her eyes, then she turned around and slapped him. If he was surprised, it didn't register on his face, which infuriated her all the more.

"What were, are, you thinking?! Look at that!" She gestured at the time screen. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"She's kissing him! This is wrong! It's messing up the way things are supposed to be! You're supposed to regulate the timeline, not-"

"Destroy it?" Clockwork finished, raising an eyebrow. He smiled slightly and Jazz's cheeks colored.

"There are bumps in the timeline Jasmine. It will never be a smooth path, that is a guarantee." Jazz glared balefully.

"I doubt you're supposed to be the one putting in the bumps." Clockwork smiled.

"You're correct." He waved his hand at the screen. A clock's hands appeared over the scene, slightly transparent so you could still see what was going on behind them. The hands wound back, and with it the whole thing they had watched rewinded, farther and farther back. Finally it came to a stop as Clockwork pressed a button on his time staff.

"Time in." He said softly.

_5 Years previous…_

_ Sam's Bedroom…_

_ Sam jolted forward, hand going to mouth. A red blush stained her cheeks. She turned around, startled, almost shocked, to see herself in bed. She collapsed against the mattress, black sheets clutched to her chest, knuckles turning white. Slowly she licked her lips, her brow furrowing, as if to catch something too far gone. _

_ "I could've sworn…" She muttered, pressing her finger against her lips. She rubbed her forehead. She couldn't understand it. She was sure she had gotten over him! And yet…_

_ "He looked hot." She admitted, a shy smirk appearing on her face. She could just imagine his face going red if he heard that. That suave, smooth man…ha! A thought occurred to her, and she quickly reached for the drawer of her bedside table, pulling out her cell phone. She quickly went to her messages, and found it. _

_ A month ago. A picture of him and his friend. Sam smiled. Same old Danny. The old one, not the weird, new one her mind had somehow created. She shook her head, which, for some reason, was hurting. She made a mental note to take an aspirin later. She sighed, pressing her head to the pillow._

_ She traced his face with a finger. Still the same Danny. Still the same Danny she was crazy about._

_ "Come on Sam." She rubbed her face. _

_ "You're seeing him today. Get…__**that**__-" That, being the declaration of marriage, and so implied, love. Avoiding the word seemed to be of no help as her face turned as red as a cherry. She groaned._

_ "Get that out of your mind-" Easier said than done, and she had a hard enough time saying it._

_ "And meet him with a happy smile. Make him feel welcome. You missed him, you're happy to see him, you…" Her face morphed to a gentle sadness._

_ "You love him." She whispered, looking in a different direction. She groaned again, hid under the sheets and cursed quite unladylike. Then she sat up with a grin._

_ "Well I feel better. Come on Gothgirl, get up!" She jumped out of the bed. So what if she still cared about him?! It didn't make her weak, it made her stronger, and she would __**not **__let herself become so upset and emotional over this! She had a reputation to uphold. She grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom, stomping as if to grind out the last bit of tingling out through her toes._

_---_

_Still 5 Years previous…_

_Tucker's Bedroom…_

_ Tucker shot up, hitting his head against the attic while screaming._

_ "WHAAAAAAT?! Ouch!" He cursed vividly as he rubbed his head, looking at his low ceiling with hatred._

_ "For God's sake child, Keep it down!" His grandmother's reprimanding voice wafted up to him. He blinked and looked around._

_ He was in his attic, his relocation after his room had been converted into a work-at-home lab. Tucker's mouth dropped open, a few more curses emptying from his mouth._

_ "It was a dream?! B-B-But!" He stuttered to the boxes of clutter._

_ "Darn it! That had been so good too!" He fell back, putting his arms behind his head._

_ "So much potential. I almost didn't mind that they would've been lying to me for so long." He smiled._

_ "Man, Dan looked happy. Overconfident maybe, but really happy." He whistled._

_ "They should be together." Sitting on that bed, Tucker nodded and reswore an oath to get his best friends together. This was the only precious time they shared together, himself included, and they needed to experience it to the fullest. And that was going to include them making out on the couch so he could take embarrassing photos, or his name wasn't Tucker Foley!_

_**In Clockwork's Tower…**_

__Clockwork smiled at Jazz's face, and uttered his infamous line. It infuriated the Observants and even brought an annoyed twitch to Danny's own face.

"Everything is as it should be." Jazz gazed at him, staring at him long and hard. He met her gaze solidly.

"Sam admits to herself she still loves Danny. Tucker decides he wants his friends together." Jazz nodded, though whether it was to herself or Clockwork, it wasn't clear.

"You did it for the sake of their relationship?" She asked, though it was more like an uncertain statement. Clockwork chuckled as he held out his arm. She took it hesitantly and he slowly walked with her.

"I'd like to think of it as killing two birds with one stone, actually." She looked at him quizzically as he escorted her to the correct time portal.

"After all, even the Master of Time needs a little entertainment here and there." He winked at her, and Jazz found herself blushing furiously, amazed at this ghost.

"Err, well, goodbye then." She shook his outstretched hand and stepped through the portal, greeting a groaning achey Danny lying on the couch in the living room.

Clockwork let loose another soft chuckle.

"Goodbye Jasmine. I look forward to us meeting again." He closed the portal, seeing in his mind's eye already the wedding that would take place.

And the dance he would snag with the bride's maid/wedding planner.

Because, after all, he knew it would happen.

It was only a matter of time.

**This can be interpreted as JazzxClockwork (though I've never really taken a liking to that pairing) or it can be considered just the beginning of a blooming friendship between the two. I really don't care how you guys interpret it, as long as you read it! R&R please! **


	39. Pixilated Program of DOOM

**POST-PP, which means AFTER PHANTOM PLANET. That also means that I'm going by the version where only Danny's parents know his secret.**

**This is what ****would've**** been added into ANY ONE of Artgirl4's stories if it had actually FIT, and Artgirl4 actually gave into her selfish desires of things she'd REALLY like to see happen…**

**Disclaimer: My life sux, ur life sux. We don't own DP. Sux, don't it? Butch Hartman, you lucky-**

**Pixilated Program of DOOM**

Danny yawned as his parents went over yet another precaution. Ever since he had let them into his ghost files they'd been taking notes, writing down calculations, and had enough information down to make a book.

Instead, they decided to give a lecture to the students of Casper High.

Which, Sam had observed, was pretty noble of them. Instead of trying to take it all in by themselves, they were willing to teach the kids of Casper High a thing or two and even show them how to use an ecto-gun.

But, Tucker countered, the chances of the students ever getting an ecto-gun even during a ghost attack were incredibly low, not to mention you didn't handle it much differently from a real gun, which was a bad thing to teach, right?

Danny stayed out of it, stifling yawn number two.

"So," Maddie said cheerfully, smiling at all of the children on the bleachers (her gaze lingering on her son as she winked very obviously),

"That is why Mr. Fenton and I have built for all of you children this!" With a flick of her wrist, she removed the huge sheet from what had seemed like a gigantic box. Danny's eyes widened and he leaned forward, as did almost all of the students.

It was a glass, see-through room that had been built as a room inside the gym. It was attached to one of the walls, and fairly large. Inside was pure metal tiles, making the room completely silver-white inside.

"It's like a crazy room." Dash whispered, left eye faintly twitching. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Well, it probably is good to be acquainted with it early, so you know what to expect in the near future." Danny whispered to his friends. They laughed quietly but apparently Dash heard them, because in the next second Danny was pulled back by his shirt collar.

"What did you say Fenton?!" Dash hissed menacingly. Danny gulped.

"Well, are there any who would like to try it out to give the other kids an example?" Maddie asked, clearly done with her lecture. She sent Danny (who Dash had arranged so it did not look like he was an inch from getting beaten up) a hopeful look that everyone very clearly saw.

Dash did too.

"We will Mrs. Fenton!" Dash said, smiling brightly. Danny choked as Dash pulled him up by his collar again.

Maddie smiled largely.

Danny tried to worm his way out of Dash's grip, but couldn't so acted resigned. He knew his mother's plan.

His parents had been hoping to see his 'skill' for a while now.

Maddie got a troubled look on her face as the boy's approached though.

"I am afraid one of you is going to be a little, well, untrained in this situation. Are you sure you can handle this?" She sent Danny worried glances, silently asking him whether he thought Dash would be alright.

Dash however, took her glances at Danny to mean that Danny himself was inept.

"Don't worry Mrs. Fenton. I'll take Danny here under my wing!" Dash 'patted' Danny on the back, Danny stumbling forward with a cough. Maddie bit her lip.

"Umm, Dash, I appreciate that, but I was talking about you, sweetie." Danny almost snickered, but Dash still had his neck in grabbing distance and he wasn't taking any chances.

"But you should be okay as long as you follow Danny!" She continued, nodding, completely unaware of the fact she had just called Danny **better** than Dash. The concept was completely foreign, and even comical. In every meaning of the word, Maddie had **dissed **Dash, without even knowing it, making it all the more powerful.

Maddie turned towards their very stunned (and laughing) audience and announced.

"Well, all of you have a treat. Danny's very capable in ghost fighting, so you'll see the amazing ghost hunter he'll be…**one day!**" Maddie, convinced she had lied enough that Danny's identity was secure, winked at him as she shrugged to the audience, pretending she was unsure when exactly he would become this 'very capable ghost fighter'.

Danny sighed, hanging his head.

Then it shot up.

"Wait, Mom, did you say this is a ghost hunting thing?!" Danny whispered frantically.

"It's a simulation sweetie, don't worry!" Maddie whispered back. She tossed both boys ecto-guns. Dash immediately started making poses as the kids oohed and ahhed. Danny immediately (and instinctively) took it in its proper position and checked to make sure it was charged, loaded, and ready.

Not that anybody cared, or realized.

"Okay boys! Now what will come out of the gun is concentrated ectoplasm, but since there are no real ghosts inside the simulation, it will dissolve if it doesn't make contact with a ghost soon. These dials show how much distance it will go before dissolving, so if I were you, I'd set them to average.

Danny did. When Dash wasn't looking (too busy still making poses) Danny set his too.

That means everything will be the same, for when you fight ghosts. Now pay attention all of you! Jack will now demonstrate the proper pose for when you shoot an ecto-gun.

As Jack proceeded to do so, Danny took a deep breath (hopefully not his last) and tapped Dash on the shoulder.

"Dash, I know you don't like taking advice from the lesser person, but I really think you should listen to my dad, he's going over something really important and-" Danny stopped rambling as Dash glared at him.

"Listen Fenton, I got one chance at this. Don't screw this up, or I'll never get to work with Phantom as his cool (human **and** handsome) partner, you got that?!" Danny blinked.

"Got it." He said, face-palming. Dash sauntered away.

"Of course, he has to threaten me to be able to work with me. I'm going to screw him up, of course." Danny muttered, also walking towards his parents.

"Okay you two, are you all ready?" Maddie asked. Danny nodded. Dash did too.

"Okay then, we'll start you up easy to get the feel for how well Dash can manage. Then we'll make way up to Danny's level. Try to hang on, okay Dash?" Maddie said nicely. Danny winced, and the crowd laughed even harder.

Danny was so getting pummeled later.

"Of course Mrs. Fenton." Dash grit out from clenched teeth. Maddie seemed to be oblivious to either boy's reaction. With one more worried glance at her son, she opened the door and gestured them inside. Dash strode confidently in, and Danny took slow, careful steps, making himself look all the more cowardly.

As Maddie activated the machine, the tiles lit up in a whitish-green glow. Danny was on the balls of his toes. Dash swung his gun from hand to hand, grinning like a maniac.

Jack shouted something through the glass, but they couldn't hear through the supercharged whine. Maddie gestured, and Jack blinked, then pressed a button, his voice coming clear now.

"Okay boys! Here come some extra slimy baddies just for you! Go get 'em! Kick some ghostly hide Dan!" Danny gave them a strained smile.

The audience leaned forward intently.

A small, green, ectoish blob appeared. Slowly arms and feet appeared, turning it into a dark green panther.

Bertrand, Danny noted in approval. Perfect for a starter course. No definite powers, just shape-shifting and speed. But this was a simulation, so he probably wasn't even going to shape-shift.

Danny spared a glance at Dash, wondering if he should let him get the first shot.

Dash was frozen. The panther hissed, moving its claw back and forth against the tile. They looked sharp.

"Dash! It's not real!" Danny hissed. Dash snapped out of his trance and glared openly.

"Well duh, Fenturd!" No one could hear them inside the room.

"Let me handle this." Dash shoved Danny aside and hoisted his gun, pointing towards the ghost.

"Goodbye Mr. Kitty-cat." He said arrogantly.

"Dash, wait, no!" Danny called. Too late. Dash fired, and the backlash sent him flying backwards, his aim also hitting way above the intended target.

This only succeeded in angering the panther more.

Dash got up shakily, trying to maintain his composure. The onlookers watched in surprise.

The panther circled Danny, and Danny circled back, crouched with his gun charged and ready. Dash was out of the ring.

Everyone just watched, bewildered at Danny's seriousness.

In a quick leap, the panther lunged. Danny pulled his gun in and rolled sideways, narrowly escaping.

"Everyone notice how Danny pulled the ectogun to his stomach! This is called the carrier position. You do not shoot unless you have a clear target, which Danny did not have!" Maddie stated quickly. The kids of Casper High blinked. Fenton was doing it right?!

"Danny is using natural instinct. He knows not what the carrier position is nor anything else we will illustrate for you. It just comes to him as second nature." Maddie beamed with pride. The classes were confused. Danny had never been taught this?!

Maddie continued,

"Danny has never been inside this course before! Number one rule of ghost-hunting-"

"Always be ready to think on your feet! Or off them, in this case!" Jack shouted, smiling. In the course of several minutes, he had managed to pull out a foam finger, waving it at his son.

"Go Danny Go! That's my boy!"

Danny flew away again as the panther threw itself at him.

"Notice that Danny is keeping the ghost away from Dash! Number two of ghost-hunting-"

"Always protect the unprotected civilian!" Jack stated again. The audience gaped, but they could clearly see it was true. Every time the ghost got close to Dash, Danny coaxed it away.

"Dash, you gonna hit it or what?!" Danny hissed again. Dash looked at him dazedly, then his face hardened.

"In case you didn't notice Fenton, I almost got fried! Why don't you give it a shot?!"

"Fine!" Danny yelled, and as the panther took another swiped, whipped his gun forward and aimed at the stomach. Anger fueled him and he unnecessarily jumped forward and pressed the gun to the ghost's stomach, shooting and making the ghost dissolve within the second. He dropped to the floor in a crouch, then stood up and helped the stunned Dash up casually.

He turned to his mother after hoisting Dash from the floor, and groaning, asked to be let out. Being unable to hear him, Jack tried to read his lips, and interpreted him in his own special, Jack way.

"Level 12? Sure Dan! That's my own flesh and blood there! Go get 'em Danny!" Jack cheered. Danny and Dash both paled.

"Wait, Dad, I didn't-!"

6 Ninja ghosts appeared. 3 of them had greenish-black nunchuks that they twirled around aggressively, while the other 3 had Shurikens (throwing stars) poking out of their fists.

Danny groaned.

"Great originality. Where are you from? Japan?" Danny started to mock. The ninjas looked annoyed.

Dash stared at him in shock. Maddie, having seen and recognized Danny's arrogant face, had turned on the intercom, allowing the audience to now hear him.

"Here's another concept that is fairly well known to ghost hunters. It also comes naturally to fighters like Danny. Banter helps to both distract and infuriate the opponent, allowing them-"

Danny's eyebrow raised.

"-not Japan? How about that comic convention in the next town over?" The ninjas advanced suddenly, and Dash yelped. Danny let his left leg lag behind him, and he crouched, his gun ready.

"-to be easily taken advantage of." Maddie finished as Danny pounced. The audience watched, captivated.

Danny ducked the first pair of nunchuks, swerved for the second pair and side-swept one of the ninjas, which went down, blurring as it hit the floor. He grabbed another pair of nunchuks, but they blurred through his hands.

"Never let your guard down! Ghosts can easily go intangible and invisible within a moments notice!" Maddie turned off the communications device as all of the ninjas disappeared. For a moment Danny's head swished back and forth, then he seemed to realize and he crouched.

"Danny's already noticed this. Now, there are small signs to be able to tell when a ghost is nearby. Because this is only a simulation, we've made it so the hologram will be projected at lowest frequency, causing only a small blur in the air to appear. Compare Dash and Danny's reaction."

The kids did so. Dash looked semi-frantic, and he waved his gun around menacingly. Danny's eyes seemed to scan the air with a deadly seriousness.

He pulled his gun back and rolled as a ninja appeared behind him, kicking the area he had been in.

The teens (and Jack) cheered as Danny shot the first one down. It fizzled out and Danny swung around and slammed the other one down with the base of his gun, shooting it. He ducked quickly as one leaped over his head, and suddenly turned toward Dash, a startled look on his face.

Dash, who had yelled, a ninja advancing towards him with sharp, pointy (holographic) shurikens in his hands.

"Ah-St-stay back!" Dash squeaked. The teens couldn't hear him, fortunately.

Without a second thought Danny abandoned his position and ran at Dash and the ghost.

"Ah! I know this one Maddie!" Jack shouted.

"Danny is living every warrior's motto; Never leave a man behind!" Maddie nodded approvingly at both her husband and son.

"Yes. Danny is exhibiting a true quality, by going back for Dash, he is not only being brave, but reckless." She laughed, then continued to lector,

"But that doesn't matter to people like Danny. For them, they don't want to see anyone get hurt when they could've done something. And that-"

Danny vaulted over the ninja, somersaulting and landing in a position that protected Dash.

"-is what being a ghost hunter is all about." Danny looked at the ghost with dark eyes and squinted. He shot it, and continued to keep his finger on the trigger, rolling the dial. The blast went through the ninja through to the other one approaching behind it. Both ghosts dissipated.

Dash, in a last attempt to save his dignity, came to a sudden revelation.

"Fenton! Your parents fixed the ecto-thingies, didn't they?! Gimme that!" He grabbed the ecto-gun from Danny and tossed him his old one, smirking.

"Now I'll show them." Maddir grimaced, watching it all.

"Oh dear," she whispered. It echoed through the auditorium. The students seemed to be coming to the same revelation as Dash. They misunderstood Maddie's worry, thinking she had indeed fixed his gun so it was easier for him.

"What is it?" Jack asked, and Maddie bit her lip.

Dash turned and faced the ghosts, a confident look on his face.

"I wanted to test Danny's limits, so when he wasn't looking, I changed the amount of blast to extreme." Jack's eyes widened, as did everyone's in the audience as they heard, understood, and Dash pulled the trigger.

"Dash, don't!" Danny called out again. Too late. Dash was sent flying back, but this time he crashed against the wall on the other side and slid down. Maddie opened her mouth in mild surprise. Jack grinned even wider, then, feeling guilty, masked it with concern for Dash. But since the walls were covered and coated for safety, Dash would be alright.

Danny sighed, and sent his mother a look through the glass. She sheepishly waved.

"Hi hon! You're doing great!" She said through the com. link, then turned it off. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, showing where her son got it from and turned back to the audience.

"You must always be careful with the level of power in your gun. Many adults cannot even handle the extreme option, even if they **are **trained. Danny had to have the right amount of balance, training, and strength that Dash does not yet possess." The kids' mouths couldn't have opened wider. Sam and Tucker had put their heads in their laps, and Jazz, somewhere on the side of the bleachers, had resorted to banging her head against her knee.

Parents had never understood the school system.

It was a well-known fact that was clearly exhibited in the Fentons.

"Unfortunately, Danny doesn't very much like to exhibit his skills. I'm afraid he doesn't have enough of a presence for Dash to have heeded his warning. Oh dear…" Maddie tutted, half talking to herself. She didn't understand that she had stated Danny had been letting himself be bullied, nor did she understand that Dash had just been ignoring him.

And if evidence was needed, Danny doing hand to hand combat behind her with three ninjas at once certainly drove the point home. Maddie turned and almost squealed in delight at the sight of her son. Her eyes alit with an amazement and awe almost profound, almost disbelieving.

In order to get more distance between them and him and Dash, he quickly ran and flipped with his body straight instead of curled up, arms wrapped around his body like someone doing a vault would have. He avoided shurikens as he flipped, landing and quickly doing a handstand and kicking them all back.

Maddie grinned largely.

"Danny is also exhibiting a quality often envied by more amateurish of ghost hunters." Behind her, Dash tried to punch a ninja in a last-shot attempt to retain some dignity doing what he did best: hitting people. He blinked in surprise when his fist went right through the ninjas face, and in his panic to pull back, lost his balance and fell.

"The ghosts are just holograms I remind you, so Danny is doing something I never even dreamed he'd be able to. His mind is projecting the right distance where fist should meet face, or (ahem) other body parts. Mr. Fenton and I put that feature just for testing, but if contact is made in the primary, or first layer of hologram, intensity of the blow is measured and the ghosts will react accordingly."

Danny was kicking butt behind her, so it was pretty obvious how intense he was.

And, it was becoming clear the Fentons really were geniuses.

The kids turned and looked at Mr. Fenton, who was busy trying to make the teens do the wave.

Albeit strange, mad geniuses.

By the time the ninjas were done, Danny had a rather wild, exhilarated look on his face. He looked like someone would after a satisfying workout, and he also looked strangely…happy. Then he hoisted Dash up without another thought, and banged on the door of the room.

Maddie bit her lip nervously and opened the door. Danny pushed Dash through the door, who stumbled and then turned back and glared at Danny, who had picked up both ecto-guns and returned them to Maddie, once checking them over. He mumbled something to her, and she smiled softly.

"What did you say?" She asked. He mumbled a little louder.

"Danny, honey, speak up." Blushing, he said clearly.

"You should restrict it to the first 5 levels. No one here can go above without getting hurt." He coughed, and they slowly came to realize he was embarrassed.

"Plus, the ninjas had a bit too much electricity running through the nunchuks. Dash could've gotten burned." He showed her his hand, and they leaned forward, barely making out the greenish-black lines running along his palm. Maddie gasped and nodded, telling Jack to go get first aid, before smirking a little.

"Are you concerned about yourself at all?" Maddie laughed, and took and shooed him to the doors, where he went, slouching all the way before he disappeared into the hallways, probably on the way to the nurse. Jack instead used the first aid to check over Dash, who, by now, had given up.

Maddie smiled.

"And that concludes our lesson on Ghost Safety. We hope all of you can come to use this room in the near future, to help train in case of emergencies (of course after signing liability contracts), and become better ghost hunters, like our son." Parental pride oozed from every pore.

"Thank you." The audience clapped half-heartily, too busy blinking and stunned to do so fully. The Fentons left, the Principal said a few parting words, classes resumed, and Danny was seen a period later with nothing but a bandaid or two on his hands, never protesting against using a pencil even though the burns stretched over his hands.

And later it was said he had checked up on Dash, who had resigned himself to the nurse with a 'pounding headache'.

The geek was suddenly a hero, and there was nothing he could do to keep them from seeing it now.

**And that concludes another meaningless but fan-servicing one-shot by yours truly. *Bows*** **Thank you, thank you. If only Danny, if only.**

**Artgirl4!**


	40. Flower Shops

**Flower Shops **

Margie brushed some loose flower petals off the counter, receiving a glare from her friend Ginger. She stuck her tongue out and rested her elbows on the counter, watching her friend tediously work, sweeping little bits of plants into a dustpan in the corner.

"Remind me why we took this job again?" She asked Ginger, playing with the cash register. Ginger rolled her eyes as Margie squealed when the cash register opened. Ginger quickly smacked her hands away from the money with the broom, ignoring her pout.

"Many reasons. Number 1, so we could meet guys." Margie snorted, and Ginger amended.

"Of course, any cute guys here were buying flowers for their girlfriends, but it was kind of worth it." Margie snorted again.

"Number Two, we need money for gas, remember?" Margie groaned, banging her head against the counter.

"Right, that was it." She said weakly. Ginger gave her a dry look.

"From what I can see, you're not the one with the broom, you're the one sitting at the counter doing nothing." Margie smiled, shaking her finger.

"Technically that is not true, I am also glancing at the television in that corner, which is currently displaying a program on Amity's Number One Hunk himself." She grinned and licked her lips. Ginger turned and let loose a little giggle herself, staring at the stoic figure on the television screen.

"Oooh here's the part where he kicks butt!" She cheered. Margie grinned impishly.

"I think I'm more interested in another butt…" Ginger glared at her as she whistled innocently, but a second later they were watching the footage from yesterday's fight.

"Wow! Look at that uppercut!"

"He always sucks them up with that thing- ha! It looks like a soup thermos!"

"Wait, shut up! He's talking to the press!"

Indeed, Danny was landing. He walked over to the cameras, who in turn, hurried to him.

_"I thought we had an agreement, stay a safe distance away from a ghost fight!"_ He scowled, sounding like a parent reprimanding his kids. Both girls smiled.

"He's sooo cute!" Margie squealed.

"He's got a good sense of righteousness." Ginger answered. Margie gave her an incredulous look and she conceded.

"And he's cute." Both smiled, and turned back to the television, just to catch the most interesting part.

_ "Mr. Phantom! Are you still single?!" _

Danny blinked. The girls blinked. He blushed. The girls gawked.

_"That-That's" _He stuttered a moment, then cleared his throat, regaining his composure.

"_That's really none of your business." _Amid the groans, Danny glared, once again the perfect hero. The girls blinked again, and decided they had just been fabricating things.

"He actually seemed embarrassed for a second." Ginger said, laughing at the ridiculous statement. Margie did to, but both stopped at sudden gasps and squeals erupting from the street. People in front of their store started pointing at something out of view.

Margie got up, but Ginger glared at her.

"Remember the rules. We can't leave during shop hours." Margie pouted but Ginger shook her head strictly, and Margie flopped back down. Whatever was coming down the street was obviously coming closer, judging by the people staying, frozen in shock, some rushing forward, some rushing back.

Margie leant forward in her seat subconsciously, and Ginger also kept glancing up. When they finally saw the figure, the broom fell out of Ginger's hands and Margie gasped.

The figure stopped in front of their shop. Their hearts stopped. He glanced at the window, then approached the door. To their infinite surprise and shock, he stepped in, the bell tinkling softly to announce his arrival. It was not lost on them when he locked the door behind him, people pressing their faces to the glass.

Danny Phantom, in a nice black suit with a dress shirt with a blue tie approached them, glancing at the flowers on the shelves, looking quite frustrated.

He passed Ginger and then stopped a step or two in front of her. She froze, eyes following him, standing stiff as a board. He turned to her, and she almost stopped breathing. Hero or not, he was still a ghost, emphasized by the slight chill in the room.

She glanced at Margie, afraid, and their eyes met, Margie's sending silent support and also silent fear.

He bent down, and Ginger watched dazedly as he picked up her broom and held it out to her expectantly. She blinked and took it with shaking fingers, and he smiled, then moved on to Margie.

"Uh..um, that is," She found herself stuttering. Danny turned back to her quizzically, and then glanced at the shop window, and back to her. He seemed to realize something, and his eyes widened. He swiveled his head to Margie and her, mouth opening and closing.

"Ah, I mean, uh, I can explain!" He said suddenly, hands outstretched as if to stop both of them from tackling him. Both girls blinked at him, and he straightened, looking quite flustered. He raked a hand through his hair, sighing.

"What I mean is," he took a deep breath, then gestured at the people at the window.

"I just came to do something. I mean, I'm just looking for something, but I don't want to be **mobbed** while I do it. So, I just locked the door for that reason, I mean, to keep **them **out, not **you **guys in, so **please** don't freak out or anything, I'm not going to hurt you or anything-" He was rambling, and Ginger held up a hand instinctively. He shut up on cue, startling her. He smiled sheepishly, and then frowned and sighed again, running his hand through his hair **again**.

Suddenly Ginger felt overwhelmed. She sighed too, and turned to Margie.

"First things first, Margie get your hands off the emergency button." Margie pouted, removing her hand from underneath the counter.

"I wasn't actually going to use it. Jeez, O ye of little faith." She tutted at Ginger who rolled her eyes at her. Danny smiled at their antics. Ginger turned to him, and his smile got small. She stifled a laugh, and saw Margie fighting giggles too. He was actually acting **scared **of them!

"Well, you came to a flower store. So which kind do you want?" Ginger asked, leaning on her broom. Danny smiled, obviously glad they weren't acting all fan-ish on him. Both girls immediately pitied him, wondering what the poor ghost boy had been through.

Danny chuckled, and they realized he was nervous. His hand went to the back of his neck, rubbing it for what had seemed to be the ninth time.

"Well, you guys are girls, right?" Margie and Ginger snorted on cue, and he got flustered.

"No, I know that, I mean, uh-" Ginger raised her hand and he shut up again. She smiled. She was definitely liking this Danny Phantom more.

"Last time I checked." Margie said seriously. Then, right in front of Danny, she tugged on the collar of her shirt and glanced down.

"Yep! Still a girl!" She released her collar, and this time actually burst out laughing at the sight of the brilliantly red Danny. Ginger scowled at her as she fell off the stool and continued to laugh from somewhere behind the counter.

"Sorry about her." Danny nodded, still embarrassed.

"But yeah, we're girls, so what's the question?" He flushed brighter, the red in his cheeks a stark contrast to his pale cheeks. Ginger wondered how ghosts blushed.

"Um, well, there's this girl, and I kinda…"

Oh.

Oh!

**OH.**

Margie's laughing behind the counter stopped abruptly. Danny started as she popped up, eyes peeking out from the counter, scrutinizing him.

Ginger cleared her throat, and both turned to her.

"Stop that!" She snapped at Margie, and the eyes glared at her, then sunk down, then the forehead disappeared as well. Danny watched, bemused.

"Uh…" He pointed at the counter. Ginger waved a hand.

"Don't worry about it. She'll sulk a bit then be as good as new. So, a girlfriend, huh?" Danny sputtered.

"I, I wouldn't call it girlfriend exactly, I mean, I like her and stuff but I'm not sure whether she knows or not, and I kinda-" He stopped before she could raise her hand.

"It's a first date." He got out, then squirmed a bit. "ButI'm notsure sheknows." He hastily got out, fidgeting with his tie, eyes averted. Ginger eyed him with shock, and realized he was serious. She smiled then, and walked over to him, broom still in hand. She reached out and fixed his tie, then, in a moment of bravery, licked her thumb and tucked a gelled strand of his hair back in place. He gave her a grateful smile.

"Look, if she gets a good look at you, I'm sure it will become pretty clear it's a date." She grinned.

"Who wouldn't want to date Danny Phantom, anyway?" He coughed as she stepped away, mumbling something like 'you'd be surprised'.

"Anyway, you want flowers for her, right?" He nodded, and grinned, reaching and fumbling for something in his pocket.

"Ah, I can pay you too, I mean, I have money." He presented her with the cash, and she grinned at his enthusiasm.

"Well first you have to pick the flowers." Wow. He deflated incredibly fast.

"Well, I know girls like roses and stuff, but she's a little different, and her favorite flowers are actually lilies, so, which one should I get?" He asked, looking at her hopefully, and Ginger had a feeling she shouldn't get too surprised anymore.

"Well, what's her favorite color?"

"Purple." He answered without missing a beat. She thought for a second.

"Well, why not give her a mix? We've got purple lilies and purple roses in stock." He stared at her in shock.

"They have purple roses?" She smiled and nodded.

"They aren't as well known, but yeah. When's your date?"

"7:30" He answered, once again, without missing a beat. She wondered how many times he had repeated that time to himself.

"Well it's 7:00 now, we can have that ready in 20 minutes, is that alright?" He grinned, and nodded.

"Right Margie?" She called out to the counter. An agonized groan arose, and Danny sent her an alarmed look. Again she waved him off.

"Yeah, we can have it ready by then. That'll be 15 dollars." He smiled and paid Ginger, looking slightly proud of himself.

"That's that then. See you later." He gave her a grateful smile again, thanked her, and flew through the ceiling. A few minutes later, the cops busted down the door, only to have Ginger tell them everything was fine and send them away. The crowd dispersed as well.

As Margie slowly and sulkily pieced together a bouquet, she asked,

"So…what was the first reason again?"

Ginger smiled.

"Number 1, so we can see cute guys who walk in-"

"-and find out they have girlfriends to buy flowers for." Margie finished, scowling.

"Gas money isn't worth it. Let's get another job." She added, plunking her face down on the counter and sighing. Ginger rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but consider this; now that Danny knows he can trust us, he'll probably come back for more flowers…" Ginger trailed off suggestively, but the girl was already wrapping the flowers with renewed vigor.

"All hail girlfriends." Margie muttered, tape in hand.

"They get cute boys to come to flower shops."

**Moral of the story? Work at a flower shop. You meet people. XD, my computer crashed, taking some of the chapters of the new Finding Danielle episode with it. I'm actually pretty upset about that, because I used my Christmas Break to write those, and I was still tweaking it now, and then Poof! Gone! THIS IS WHY I HATE DELLS. It's gonna take a while to rewrite, because the first ones were just sooooo amazing. Haha, R&R!**

**Artgirl4**


	41. The Ultimate Headline

The Ultimate Headline

1Nobody could tell you the exact day it happened. They would say they would never forget it. It was a big thing. It was practically as big as the day the entire town had disappeared from the earth. Or the day the ghostly teenage hero had saved the entire planet. It was just **that **big.

Mostly because it circled around the ghostly hero himself.

Everyone could tell you how surprised they were. They hadn't even thought it was **possible**! Not to mention...they saw a whole new side of the man they only knew as a confident, less-than-emotional ghost. He was an enigma.

And then he wasn't. Or at least, he wasn't **as **much.

And a lot of people said they preferred the new side of him. It was really...sweet.

So let's go on ahead and retell the events of that amazing day. Of the mind-blowing, wonderful events of that great day.

Sorry. Moving on.

--DPROXMYSOXDP--

Danny felt good. Scratch that, he felt **awesome**! He had minded a little bit when he'd been pulled away from his family for a ghost attack, but nothing could pull him down from this high! No pun intended, though he was, indeed, very high up in the sky.

Ironically, a ghostly tentacle then wrapped around his torso and pulled him crashing down to the ground, but he found it did not damage the goofy grin on his face. It hadn't left since this morning, though given the circumstances, he didn't expect it to go away very soon.

A crowd was gathering. He saw it through his elation, and realized he should wrap things up. The sooner he did, the sooner he could get back to his wife and child. That put a glint in his eye that should've immediately told the ghost something was off, but most likely in all that gelatin it still lacked a brain, so...

'BAM!'

Down went Jell-O.

Danny uncapped his Thermos V. 6.0 and sucked up the ghost, who looked at him and grunted before being pulled in. Danny shrugged in response.

"Yeah, I am a little off, huh?" He reached up and touched his mouth. Nope, happy cheesy smile still there. His cheeks didn't even ache. He did a flip in the air, then in front of one very puzzled and soon-to-be startled crowd, punched the air, yelling out,

"WHOO-HOO!" He did another flip, then landed, instantly bombarded with questions from several news reporters. They had come to a silent agreement over the years. As long as they kept their distance, back a few feet, he, in return, would answer a few of their questions. He wouldn't if they mobbed him (or any bystanders, so they stayed away too), and if he didn't answer them because he was in a bad mood or hurt, too bad. That was the most they could get out of him.

"Are you alright Mr. Phantom?"

"What has made you so happy?"

"Did something happen to lighten your mood?"

"Why so joyful?"Danny grinned, and the news reporters couldn't help but smile back, slightly taken aback by his mood, when he never really showed all that much emotion. But it was infectious. A few single women screamed 'Marry me!', and he ignored them, as per usual. He shrugged, and for a moment they were sure they were going to get nothing else out of him.

Now, fangirls had been upgraded to single women. Danny had grown in the past years, and he was clearly now no teenager. As an adult, he looked it, and his ghost fighting showed through the spandex (A/N: I'm not sure where you freaky readers would go with that sentence, so just as a precaution, MIND. OUT. OF. GUTTER.) . He was hot, to put it bluntly. Rumors said many a magazine had asked him to model (though of course he turned them down).

And since no paparazzi camera had ever caught him smooching with some ghost girl, human either, it seemed as though he were single. Despite him being dead, the fact that he was a superhero, the occasional saving a girl's cat, or protecting a person by sacrificing himself, and equally as occasional heart-warming, breath-stealing grins equaled to one thing;

He was as big a celebrity and as popular as any human could be.

And Danny couldn't exactly tell them the truth, that he was married, and that he had a kid, and that that wonderful, beautiful child that he loved was-

A sleek, black convertible zoomed into view. While being an incredibly nice car, it was also incredibly unusual because of the neon green outline it had. Straight green lines connected in mismatched squares all along it, actually a sort of wiring, but also a nifty decoration. In it, were an older Maddie and Jack Fenton. Both had a few gray hairs here and there now, but not much had changed. Except the RV, which was now the gorgeous convertible that both Jazz and Danny happily approved of.

It had long ago been stated that the Fentons were officially allies with Phantom and good friends. Now Maddie and Jack tore out of the car, breathing heavily.

"Danny! So (huff) sorry!" Maddie made out. Phantom looked at her worriedly.

"Looked, (pant) everywhere!" Jack finished. Everyone stared at them quizzically.

"She got away from us, looking for you. We (pant) lost her." Danny's eyes widened as he got their meaning, and his head whipped around, searching the area around him urgently, grin wiping off his face.

The audience, not exactly sure what to be looking for, glanced about too.

And then Danny blinked, and looked down at his leg. In turn, they looked at his leg too. Jack and Maddie looked at his leg. And so everyone was there, being quiet...staring at Danny Phantom's leg.

"Lee-pee?" Danny asked softly, and everyone but the Fentons looked at him like he was crazy. Danny shook his left leg gently, still addressing it.

"Lee-pee, sweetie?" He asked, using a nurturing tone again. He then shook his leg slightly again, and nodded at his parents in confirmation. Maddie breathed out a large sigh of relief, resting against the car. Jack wiped his forehead and smiled. News reporters and civilians held their breath, though for what, they had no clue.

"Lee-pee, can you let go of Daddy's leg?" Everyone stared at him in shock. He smiled, and they slowly came to realize it was a fatherly one.

"Would you rather have Daddy hold you? I have to see you to hold you." He reached down towards his leg, and then she came into view. No one made a sound, especially as Maddie made a shushing motion behind Danny.

They simply watched.

Her hair was white, just like her father's, with a little ponytail to one side with a pale yellow bow in it.. She was two, maybe three, and her pale hands were curled around her Dad's leg, gripping it tightly. Her pale pink lips were set in a pout, and neon purple eyes, like beautiful amethyst, teared slightly. She was not wearing a hazmat suit, but instead a one-piece, footie pajamas with icy blue and green flowers on it. She was adorable, and the faint glowing outline around her body and the way the colors of her clothes were a sort of inverted neon told them she was a ghost.

She quietly reached out her hands, slowly releasing Danny's leg as he pulled her into his arms, patting her back as she hiccuped and gripped his suit, pressing her small face into his shoulder. He gently cooed, the way only a father can, as he rocked her, smiling with love in his eyes. He glanced at Maddie and smiled, showing them it was alright. Maddie smiled and nodded back.

Danny then looked at her in confusion, and mouthed 'Sam?'. Jack shook his head, and gestured with his head at the crowds of people. Danny understood then. Lee-pee would, without a doubt, reveal her mother if her mother came. So Sam had stayed behind.

Danny then glanced at the audience, and they watched, half-amused, half-stunned as he quite obviously tried to wipe the smile and love from his face and failed miserably. They watched as his baby, 'Lee-pee', raised her head and he turned her in her arms. She looked at all the people watching her and blinked blankly. They blinked back.

She turned to her Daddy who was grinning again. She reached out and gripped his nose in her small hand, and he laughed. She gurgled happily and uttered a single syllable.

"Dah!" Danny's face became elated, a familiar look, and no one wondered the reason for his earlier happiness anymore.

Danny adjusted Lee-Pee in his arms and raised her up, where she laughed. He made rocket noises and floated a little off the ground, moving her around. She chortled and giggled, and he laughed too.

And a few news reporters decided to do a segment. They'd find the old footage, the one of the ghost-fighting teen, and then they'd show this one. He was different now. He was a parent. He was a Dad. And without a doubt, he loved his kid.

"Wave at the people Lee-pee! Wave at the blood-sucking rats you'll come to know so well later!" Danny cooed, waving at them himself. None of them took it personally, a few actually chuckling. It wasn't like he always enjoyed having them around, and they weren't exactly all that innocent of bothering him. They could be self-conscious when they wanted to after all.

Lee-pee raised her hand and waved it too, and Danny grinned and blew raspberries on her belly, making her giggle again. A few people cheered, now getting into it. The cameras caught every minute of it, but they could all tell it was natural. Danny Phantom never put up a show, at least, not intentionally.

Danny then turned the girl now against his shoulder again. Her crystal purple eyes peeked at the reporters with a twinkle. Instead of flying off, he got into the car and started lecturing his almost two-year old daughter about how he was coming home soon, just going to work and how she had better stay with Grandpa Jack and Grandma Maddie and Mommy while he was out next time. She stared, transfixed, though clearly not understanding in the least.

Maddie smiled, rolling her eyes as she got into the driver's seat, Jack seating himself in the back. Then they simply drove away.

The crowd dissipated, many a woman crying and mourning the loss of Danny's singlehood. A few reporters wondered whether to follow, having picked up on the whole 'Grandma and Grandpa' thing and wondering if they would catch a glimpse of the mother. Or be able to ask the Fenton's when the next time the Phantoms were visiting.

Everyone assumed the Fentons and Phantoms were truly close. So much so that Danny allowed them to watch over his child. And referred to them as Grandpa and Grandma, meaning, either he thought them old enough to deserve the title, or he thought of them as if they were his parents. A rather far cry from 10 years ago, when they had been blasting at his ghostly hide.

Welcome to Amity Park, the place where Irony was born.

Word spread, articles were released, and soon Lee-pee was a household name. Things calmed down for a while, though there was a day where the Guys in White demanded Phantom hand over the child for testing to further ghost research. Needless to say, that didn't go well, and Lee-Pee was famous once more, this time them getting a glance at Danny's protective/ enraged father side. And, luckily, as the President himself was a father, the project was not continued. Though the government and Danny Phantom had an agreement, no one wanted to get on his bad side, and they were not foolish enough to believe they could control him. He was a grown man now.

So that was that. Phantom was forever declared a father. The future had been set, and there was one very proud Godfather, forever to watch over and guard the Phantom Line, as was his duty.

The new Generation started with one baby girl named 'Lee-Pee'.


	42. Detention for the Sleepless

**Detention for the Sleepless**

Surprisingly enough, it was quite enough to hear the clock ticking.

Danny lifted his head for a moment, listening to the simple sound. It symbolized so many things to people. To him, at the moment, it symbolized moments of imprisonment slipping by. As each moment painfully passed ever so slowly, it was accompanied by the ever-present tick.

And it was driving him insane.

With a thump his head hit the desk again. He glanced sideways to see the top of Tucker's red beret, growing darker and obviously damp as it sponged in the puddle of drool that had been forming in the past hour.

Yes, Tucker was down for the count (and possibly for the next few days). Danny, him, and Sam had spent a week of sleepless nights patrolling the city, thanks to an overzealous Jack opening the portal one too many times for some visiting ghost enthusiasts. It had led to snapping on all their parts, disrespect towards several teachers and even in one abnormal case of hormonal rage, hauling a desk out the window. Even more abnormal, it was Tucker, not him. Though he claimed a ghost had helped him do it (and true, Youngblood had been spotted in the area recently), there was no proof by the time Mr. Lancer came around. All three had been placed in detention.

For the first hour, it had been heaven.

All three of them had dozed off. Dozed, being the lighter, nicer term. Tucker had brought a pillow with him and a mug of warm milk, much to Mr. Lancer's bewilderment. Sam had even snuck in a small Danny Phantom plushie, which she currently still had a hand around even as she slept soundly. Her testament was that it was cozy. Tucker's testament was that it jumped into her dreams and married her, having little ghost-human babies.

The idiot couple was too tired to beat him up.

However, now nearing the third hour, Danny's fine-tuned skills that came with being a 24/7 superhero wouldn't let him sleep for so long without the excuse of nighttime. The smallest of noises woke him up, screaming ghost. His skills, mainly comprised of strong feelings of paranoia, didn't let him sleep for more than an hour. Then, every fifteen to twenty minutes he'd wake up, scan the room without even realizing it, and groan.

The fifth round of this he gave up, sitting still and slowly losing sanity to every tick of the clock. Mr. Lancer, he noted sourly, had even managed to slip away blissfully. His snoring, while equivalent to wild boars stampeding, did not drown out the clock.

Danny got up, stretching a bit and scratching his stomach. He let loose a yawn and surveyed his surroundings. The books were all poetry and classics, so nothing he could possibly hope to understand there.

He wondered whether he should attempt to locate Tucker's PDA for games, but that probably wouldn't work. Tucker had security wrapped tightly around that thing. Plus, he probably slept with it. Even the promise of games didn't make it worth it.

Then there was the girl sitting in the desk ahead of him and Tucker. Danny slid gently into the seat ahead of Tucker and beside her, checking to see if she was actually awake and maybe half as paranoid as him.

Sadly, no dice. Sam's head was turned to the side, cheek resting against the desk and neck in a position that was bound to hurt later. The plushie rested against her neck, half of its body on the desk and the other half pushed into her chest by the edge of the desk.

Danny found himself wishing he was the plushie.

The clock was the only witness (or so he thought) to the red flush that settled across his skin as he realized his thought. He wrenched his gaze towards her face. He desperately wanted to wake her and make conversation-they hadn't talked much, sometimes taking lunch breaks to sneak off school grounds and hunt. He missed her despite her closeness. He wanted to hear one of her snarky comments that only someone who was close to her could tell was one of her light teases. He wanted to see her smile dryly, or hear her ramble on about the value of earth. He wanted to see her be compassionate about something other than smacking Spectra's face into a wall repeatedly using the Fenton Ghost Grabbers. Insomnia had done weird things to Sam, not that he and Tucker were any better (A **Desk!**)

He sighed, resting his chin on the desk while looking at her. His lips formed an involuntary pout. He wouldn't wake her, but he could silently sulk about the fact that she could sleep when he couldn't. Sure, when she'd wake up he'd imitate getting as good a rest as her. He didn't need another sister on his case concerning his health, and Sam didn't need that kind of stress. Besides, he didn't want her to be like a sister to him.

She was his best friend, not an annoying nag.

The sunlight streaming through the window hit his eyes as the clouds moved, annoying him. He sat up, adjusting his slouch so he avoided the sun. Sam had been smart enough to face away from the window, but if he did that he wouldn't be able to see her face.

It was the most anxiety-stripped he'd seen her in a few weeks.

Her hair, in the light, turned a lighter, shinier black. He could see her roots, hints of strawberry blonde peeking through and shining golden from the sun. The result was the top of her head shined brighter than the rest of her. She let out a soft sigh and his eyelids flickered close. Her peace was like a lullaby. It soothed him and made him think of times like looking at the waterfalls reflecting rainbows or at the camp fire with a smoky crackling, eating in a diner as if it was the last meal, squishing sand underneath toes and snapping photos of a crimson sunset on a navy ocean.

It apparently made him think of poetry.

He was suddenly struck by the most desperate and worrisome of thoughts. What if they couldn't make memories like that anymore? What if his Dad released more ghosts, or they got out on their own? What if they were doomed to more sleepless nights without talking? He needed his friends to know they meant more to him that hunting buddies. He needed to be able to spend time with them besides beating up random specters.

The worst question came to mind, one that filled him up with a quiet dread.

What if they started snapping at each other?

He looked intensely at his best friend. The dark bags under her eyes had faded, but hints remained. Her hair was a mess, and she clearly hadn't taken the time to re-dye the roots, a process she usually always carefully executed at the proper time.

And yet she looked the best in the past few months. True, he would rather have her looking terrible and acknowledging him than sleeping prettily and never talking, but he couldn't bring himself to wish for it any more than half-heartedly. She seemed so…happy, the way she was now.

He touched her hair, silky strands that fell through his hands easily. Sam's number one priority, though she would never admit it, had always been hair care. However, she was highly desensitized in that area. This allow him to comb her hair back using his fingers, gently caressing her scalp without waking her. Now, if she woke up, her hair wouldn't be **too** messy.

That was his excuse.

He repeated the process several times, sometimes glancing Mr. Lancer's way somewhat guiltily. The man was sleeping like a rock though, one hand still posed, limply outstretched on the pad of his open laptop.

Danny glanced back at his best friend and silently promised he'd make her smile. Not a tired, nor a sarcastic smile, but a true one. It wasn't as unusual on the goth's face as some people thought. Danny could get them out of her frequently, if she was feeling good. He wanted her feeling good.

He glanced at Tucker this time, then quickly jumped forward in his seat. His lips descended hastily but softly against Sam's head, cushioned by her hair. As fast as they were there, they were gone, and the boy was firmly in his seat again, head against folded arms, a swear word for each tick of the clock that so happily mocked him.

And so caught up in his endless torment did he notice the small beeps coming from Tucker, muffled by his beret, and equally as quiet beeps coming all the way from Mr. Lancer's computer. Both were somehow masked by the ticking of the clock.

In fact, if Danny had gone around the aisle to look at Tucker, who was also turned away from the sun and on the side farther from the window, he might've noticed Tucker's PDA, cuddled in the boy's arms on the desk. A PDA that currently featured a live video feed on its small screen, in an open window. The open window was titled "LoveWatch", and the beeps came from a chat window opened under the same program. This program was currently going crazy with people commenting and chatting on the new current development. These messages appeared on Tucker's PDA at the same time as they appeared on Lancer's computer.

The small webcam was too faraway for Danny to notice, but it caught everything. While bets were being called off and everyone was reeling from what they called the "newest development", Mr. Lancer and Tucker Foley were too busy sleeping to provide commentary. Sadly, they would have to watch the recorded version the next day.

But as Sam woke up and punched Danny, who had unsuccessfully attempted to pretend sleep and had laid on the fake snoring a bit too thick, they were blissfully unaware. No, they were too wrapped up in the creation of an actual conversation, debate, argument, then friendly conversation again. There was no new development on the love front, but some people noted rather casually and conversationally that Danny was pretty good at making Sam smile.

And she, in return, was great at getting him to grin as well.


	43. Honey, I Lost the Baby

**Honey, I Lost the Baby**

**2:42 PM**

"TUCKER! CHECK THE LIVING ROOM, **NOW!" **Tucker ducked as Danny zoomed over his head, not even focusing on the frantic man. He himself was tossing cushion after cushion back from the couch.

"I ALREADY AM!" He stuck his head into the couch cushions, glancing everywhere before pulling his head away, not even regarding the lint and stray quarter coin stuck to his face.

"WELL YOU'RE NOT CHECKING **HARD** ENOUGH!" Danny shouted back, voice cracking. He was panicking, and he appeared in the doorway, white hair mussed up and hands bare. He also had some suspicious materials stuck to his face, but like Tucker, completely ignored them.

"DID YOU LET HER OUTSIDE?" He screamed. Tucker winced at his loudness, and rapidly shook his head.

"THEN WHERE COULD SHE BE?" Tucker jumped up, and slapped Danny across the face. Danny blinked, and looked at him with wild, bewildered eyes.

"Dude, CALM DOWN. We'll find her! It's not like she could've gotten up and walked outside!" Danny took Tucker by the shoulders.

"You don't get it! I checked everywhere! **EVERYWHERE!**" Indeed, the whole house was in a state of dissaray. The couch cushions were thrown across the room, the armchair was on its side, and the little playpen was knocked over. The kitchen chairs were also everywhere, and in the bedrooms the sheets were strewn about, the closets emptied. Toys were scattered over the floor. Tucker's lab coat was thrown hazardly across a lamp from when he had come bursting in after receiving Danny's scared call. A fire was the last thing on their minds though.

"What if a ghost took her? Skulker? Spectra? Tucker!" Danny shook Tucker back and forth.

"WHAT IF IT WAS SAM'S PARENTS?" Tucker slapped him again.

"No one would kidnap your daughter Danny! The ghosts already tried that, they're not stupid to do it again after that big blow-up of yours. You almost took down half the ghost zone with your wail. And as for Sam's parents, they wouldn't do it without calling after the last time you and Sam freaked out. They learned their lesson the first time!" Danny nodded, reassuring himself with every word.

"Yea, you're right. You're right." His hands slowly receded as he reached up to rub his temples. After Sam entered her eighth month of pregnancy it had rapidly been taken up as his favorite motion, even overtaking the neck rub.

"But," Danny swallowed, and Tucker could swear he saw tears pricking his friend's eyes. "Then where is she? I kept the baby gate up, and I only left for a second to go get a sandwich…" He swallowed again, his voice cracking.

"And even if she got past the baby gate, I had one on the stairs so she couldn't climb up, and she can't reach the door yet…" Danny swallowed again. Tucker rubbed his chin, reaching for his PDA until he realized it was still in his lab coat, which was still on the lamp.

"Well, the ghost zone door is locked, we checked last night, but-" He snapped his fingers just as Danny's head shot up.

"THE BASEMENT!" They yelled at each other, and took off, Danny flying and Tucker running behind him. Danny stopped at the hallway, looking at the basement door as Tucker skidded to a stop, sliding on the tile and slamming his shoulder into the counter but not caring. The guys glanced at each other again, then shot forward.

The door was slightly open.

Danny flew forward, Tucker following as fast as he could behind. Danny was close to hyperventilating, feeling sick to his stomach. If the ghost zone was open…He had warned them before, but whoever dared take his child…

Tucker glanced at his friend, who had forsaken legs for a tail. When he had gotten the call he could tell Danny was worried, now he was downright terrified. That, in turn, made him terrified too. However, he had to be the voice of reason or Danny would go berserk, and when Sam found out she would be just as bad.

Though hopefully, they would find her kid before then.

The first thing they noticed was the ghost portal was closed. Both men heaved a sigh of relief, before glancing around. Everything was still neatly stacked, nothing out of place. Danny's shoulders slumped, and the man gave a shuddering sigh. Tucker laid a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll find her Dan, I promise." Danny nodded, eyes blazing green.

**2:50 PM**

Tucker was now excavating Danny's room, while Danny covered the living room again. Swear words were being muttered from both men, while Tucker's lab coat was giving off a strange burning smell.

Danny froze when he heard the door open, giving it a scared look. The door swung open with Sam's foot still outstretched, her hand depositing her keys back in her pocket while the other shifted her grocery bags against herself. Danny eyed her with wild, guilty eyes the entire time. She stepped inside and almost dropped her stuff in surprise.

"You look like you killed someone!" She laughed, but when the look persisted, her eyes narrowed.

"You didn't kill someone…right?" Danny swallowed, opening his mouth to respond, but Tucker took that moment to trip down the stairs. He stumbled to the bottom, barely falling down completely.

"Dan, did you check the attic? I know it's a long shot but-oh hey Sam!" Tucker practically screamed, his voice shrill and his smile forced. Sam eyed them both suspiciously, then strode towards Danny. Danny and Tucker glanced at each other, and rapidly went into placation mode.

"Sam, sweetie, why don't you sit down a minute, and I'll make you a cup of coffee-"

"Living room!" Tucker hissed.

"-I-I mean, why don't we just stand here and talk, we don't get to do that very often-"

"Danny, what's going-" Sam gasped, the grocery bags falling out of her arms (and into Danny's, who had foreseen this consequence) and stood in the doorway of the living room, looking out at all the destruction of her once pristine home.

"Why don't I just put these away for you?" Tucker asked, attempting to coerce Danny into giving him the bags, thus an escape. Danny wrenched them back and glared at his ex-friend.

"I'll do it." He growled.

"No really, I insist." Tucker said, reaching for them again. Sam spun around on her heel.

"DANIEL JAMES FENTON! TUCKER JOHN FOLEY!" Both men stood at attention, at least one of them whimpering slightly.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Sam yelled, marching up to her husband and poking him in his built, spandex-covered chest.

"I leave for an hour to go get some groceries, and I come back to this! What, instead of watching Lily you decide to play let's mess up the house?" Sam ranted. When Danny paled, Sam stopped mid-poke.

"Where's Lily Danny?" Sam said softly, her voice quiet and controlled.

"Uh, you see, about that,"

"Where is my baby?" Sam asked again. Danny winced, noting the "my" and not the "our". Sam was not happy.

"Uh, honey, maybe we should sit down-" Sam's hands grabbed his spandex and yanked him forward. Danny yelped.

"Honey, I might've, maybe, lost the baby!" There was a pause. Tucker took this opportunity to slip the groceries out of Danny's limp arms, and slink away to the kitchen. He placed them on the counter hastily, then fell into a ball and stuck his fingers in his ears.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT?"

He was not disappointed.

**3:05 PM**

"We're here!" Maddie announced, stepping into the house. At first glance, it was empty, but as she and Jack entered the living room, they saw it was far from it.

"When did you last see her?" Jazz was asking Danny, who was now emptying the cabinets. Jazz was cradling a cup of coffee, her face distinctly marked with worry. Danny glanced at the clock.

"About a half hour ago." He said, kneeling down and sticking his head in one of the compartments. He made a noise of frustration/worry. Jazz sighed, then glanced at her parents, face lighting up.

"Oh thank god, you're both here!" She said, giving them a strained smile. Maddie nodded, her face reflecting her daughter's. They gave each other a chaste hug, while Jack started helping Danny, pausing only to give his son a reassuring nod. Danny smiled gratefully.

"We brought everything we could think of. Her Teddy, her blanket, her favorite yum-yums-"

"She's not a rabbit Mom." Jazz scolded. "She's not going to come out when she smells food!" Jack called out from the cabinets.

"It worked for you and Danny!" Jazz blushed while Maddie smirked.

"I don't know Mom, I doubt they could help much." Sam said, striding into the kitchen. She waved at Maddie who smiled, then placed her hand on the phone.

"She wants me to call the police." Sam said, biting her lip. Maddie shook her head.

"It's only been a half hour, they won't be able to do anything." Sam nodded, taking her hand away and repeating this information to her mother. She grimaced as her Mom's shrill voice got louder, and walked out of the room again.

"Where's Tucker?" Maddie asked, noticing he wasn't present.

"Checking the attic." Danny grunted. His legs were going numb from his squatted position.

Maddie raised an eyebrow at Jazz, who shrugged.

"Unlikely, I know, but it's the only place they haven't tried." Maddie sighed, while Jazz offered up her lukewarm coffee. Maddie shook her head, and reached into her purse, pulling out her granddaughter's favorite teddy bear, which she had left at their house before.

Danny and Sam now lived in their old house, for Danny had gotten worried that Jack and she wouldn't be able to defend themselves from ghosts as well as they got older. He had taken over guardianship of the portal, and paid his parents rent, much to their unhappiness.

But looking back at it, it was good they lived in this house. It was the place Jack and Maddie had raised their children, and they knew it like the back of their hand.

"Jack, where's that niche that Danny used to hide in whenever he had an…accident?" Maddie asked, trying to recall. Jack snapped his fingers, nodding at his wife.

"Over by the basement, between the desk and the shelves. I'm on it Mads!" He bounded downstairs. Maddie glanced to the living room door, which connected to the kitchen, and heard Sam's raised voice. Maybe she shouldn't enter there then…

She knelt down by her son, reaching into another cabinet next to his. He spared her a glance, then went back to work. Maddie reached in, hoping against hope to find a small warm bundle, but only felt a cold, dusty metal. Brows furrowed, the wrapped her hand around it and pulled it out, letting loose a cloud of dust. She coughed, as did Danny.

"What is that?" Danny asked, waving his hand in the air. Maddie shrugged. "Probably one of Jack's old inventions…" She wiped the surface of the small rectangle, and the words imprinted on the surface became readable.

"The Ghost Finder 2000." Danny and her read together. Danny chuckled softly, taking it from her hands.

"I remember this. It was back when I didn't want you finding out who I was. I ended up hiding it, because it kept beeping whenever I walked by." He handed it back to Maddie, who smiled.

"And before that, there was the Ghost Finder 1, and the Ghost Finder 1000." Her eyes widened. "Both of which happened to be run over by the RV…" She punched her grinning son in the arm.

"That was you, wasn't it?" Danny laughed again, taking more stuff out of the cabinet. "Guilty." He murmured. Maddie shook her head, running her fingers over the old technology.

"These were the ones we programmed to run on the ghost portal energy. I wonder whether it still works…" She ran her hand along the side, finding the switch. She turned it on, and watched the screen light up green.

"Welcome to Ghost Finder 2000. There are two ghosts in the vicinity. I repeat, there are two ghosts in the vicinity." Maddie gave her son a hopeless glance.

"There's one. Haha, I guess it really didn't work." Danny, however, was staring at the machine.

"No…the reason I hid it was because it **did** work…" Maddie and Danny stared at each other, eyes widening. They shot up, as did Jazz, who had been listening to the conversation with an air of nostalgia. They crowded around the machine.

"Does it give locations?" Danny asked, a underlying panic in his voice. Maddie nodded, pressing a few buttons. The machine went crazy, coordinates scrolling across the screen.

"That one's you, and that one is-!" Jazz glanced at Danny, startled. The ecto-signature was coming from the playroom, where Lily had originally been. All three of them shot forward, Jack trudging up the basement stairs and eying them all startled. Tucker too, was on his way down, and watched the two women and man zoom past in the direction of the playroom.

"Mom? I'll talk to you later." Sam muttered, hanging up on her screaming mother. She jogged to the playroom along with Tucker and Jack, watching Maddie reading coordinates off an old-looking machine.

"I don't see her!" Danny muttered, stalking around.

"It says she should be right here, Danny!" Maddie muttered, glancing at the screen and the room repeatedly. Jazz was down on her knees, calling Lily's name.

"What if it's not her? What if it's just picking up traces of ectoplasm? Lily isn't even a ghost!" Danny yelled, also getting down on his knees.

"But she is **your** daughter, which means she should have traces of ectoplasm in her DNA." Jazz replied, pushing a few stuffed animals out of the way. Sam quickly caught on, and rushed over to Maddie, checking the device over her shoulder.

"But Lily's never showed signs of being part ghost before." She muttered, biting her lip again. Tucker nodded.

"And wouldn't Danny's ghost sense have gone off?" Danny shook his head from his position on the floor.

"It doesn't go off with Dani, so possibly no. She is technically a part of me, so it's possible my ghost sense doesn't register her as a separate entity." Danny grunted a few time, clearing his throat. "Nope, nothing."

Maddie tweaked the machine a little, and let out a sigh of frustration. Jack reached for the machine.

"Here Mad's let me give it a go." He took the machine and whacked it against the wall, where a flurry of beeps sounded. Suddenly the machine went off.

"You'd have to be a complete moron to not see the ghost two steps in front of you." Jack grinned. "That's the ol' Fenton touch!"

Danny looked at the space in the middle of the room. Specifically, the last place he'd seen Lily.

"There's nothing there-" "Shhh!" Danny shushed Jazz, who shot him a puzzled glance. He continued to stare at the spot, getting closer and closer. The room got quiet for the first time.

Slowly, Danny reached out a hand. And touched something soft in midair.

Jazz and Sam let out a squeak as a pink ball tumbled out of the air, just materializing. Danny's eyes widened, and his fingertips brushed against the invisible fabric again. He felt his heart stop pounding for the first time in what felt like forever. Then he closed his eyes and went invisible himself, trying to feel for that connection…there…and pull as he went visible-

Sam scooped up Lily the moment she appeared, cradling her baby in her arms. Lily blinked and cuddled her mother, one hand reaching out for her pink ball again.

Danny collapsed against the mat, hanging his head back and rubbing his face wearily, while Jazz laughed and clapped, and Maddie wiped tears of relief from her eyes. Tucker rested against the doorway, head in his hand. Jack stood there, grinning, a Ghost Finder 2000 still muttering profanities in his hand.

**3:15 PM**

"Wait, so why won't she stop again?" Danny sighed, watching his daughter flicker in and out of visibility. She didn't have a ghost form, which might've been a blessing, but it was possible her powers still were developing. Sam sighed too, stirring her sugar into her tea.

"She's barely even one yet Tucker, she probably can't control it. I don't think she's even aware of it! Danny!" Danny reached out obediently and pulled his daughter from invisibility for the nth time. Jazz and his parents watched in amusement. Lily was seated on the counter, pacifier in mouth and teddy in hand. The others were seated on the seats at the island, watching the girl carefully. Everytime she flickered out of sight for a second too long, Danny would have to pull her back.

"We automatically assumed when she was born that my ectoplasmic DNA would be stripped of any ecto-impurities, but I guess that wasn't the case." Danny shrugged, taking a sip of his strong coffee. After today, he needed it.

Sam groaned. "And who knows what else will happen after this! We're going to have to keep her from friends, family-oh god, and my parents!" She placed her head in her hands, letting out a muffled shriek. Danny chuckled.

"Well at least we have an excuse not to see them…?" Sam shot him a glare while the rest of them snickered. No one liked Sam's parents. It was practically a rule.

"Danny!" Danny pulled Lily back, sticking her pacifier in her mouth. "Well, maybe we can modify the Plasmius Maximus. You know, so it doesn't shock her, just temporarily takes away her powers." Sam nodded, a hopeful glint in her eye.

"You think that will work?" Danny glanced at his parents, who nodded emphatically.

"We can have that up and running in a matter of days." Maddie said, winking at her daughter-in-law. Sam smiled gratefully.

"Well then, now that that's settled!" Jack said, grinning. He hopped off his chair and ran towards the door.

"What are you doing Dad?" Danny asked. His father yelled back.

"Going to go get the camera of course!" Jazz and Danny stared at each other, bewildered.

"Why?" They shouted. Jack burst back inside, camera in hand.

"Well it's not everyday your kid goes invisible for the first time! You need to start documenting these things Danny-boy." He shoved the camera in his son's hand. Danny stared at his father, then at Sam. Slowly, the two started to smile.

"Sure, why not?" He said, opening the camera. Maddie giggled.

Tucker started laughing. He answered Jazz's unasked question.

"I can just imagine it. Inbetween "Lily's first steps" and "First words" will be "First ectoblast," and "First invisibility." Tucker snickered some more while Jazz rolled her eyes.

"And then 14 year old Lily will spend forever wondering why her parents decided to film a half hour worth of blank space."

**Okay, so I revisited the Ultimate Headline, and saw that a lot of you guys wanted something more like it. Consider this a prequel of sorts. : ) **

**I can't express how much it means to me to see the same people come back and review a one-shot, or a chapter. Sadly enough, I get more reviews for this then for Finding Danielle, but hey, you take what you can get. Your reviews really inspired me to write this, and it actually only took a day, which is a record for me. So thanks, because I really love it when someone takes the time to send me a comment. **

**In the words of Catalyst (one of my favorite reviewers. Love ya! ;) ): ****I've got a case of those evil, insane, maddening warm fuzzies right now.**

**That's how I feel when I get a review from you guys! :D Love ya!**

**R&R**

**Artgirl4**


	44. Never the Sidelines

**Hey Everybody! Okay, so I use a POST-PP Quote, yes, but in fact, this is a timeline where nobody knows Danny's secret, and Danny and Sam aren't together…yet. So, yeah. THAT WAS IMPORTANT SO I HOPE YOU READ IT!**

**Never the Sidelines**

"_I can't live life just sitting on the sidelines. I'm surprised you think _you_ can." _

Sam thought back to her words, laughing at the idea. Danny? On the sidelines? Impossible. It was becoming more and more obvious, as well. Danny could not stay on the sidelines, even in his human form.

There were moments when he was a hero…and people were starting to notice it. Sam saw it. And others saw it. Those moments when he protected people instinctively…it was natural to him. He couldn't hold it in, because he did it without realizing.

But others realized.

Take earlier today, for instance.

_"EVERYONE RUN!" Mr. Lancer shouted. Tables were overturned as the kids screamed and stampeded away from a giant bear ghost. The ghost growled, sweeping his paw and knocking down more tables. _

_ "Danny, you have to change!" Sam muttered, hands out and people bumped and knocked past her. Danny flinched and grunted as other people elbowed him._

_ "I can't! Theres-ngh-too many people!" He snapped back. He reached forward and grabbed Sam's hands in the crowd, turning her intangible for a moment and yanking her towards him. Then stumbled together, then he pushed her forward, with the crowd instead of against it._

_ "Go! I'll catch up!" She glanced back at him for a moment, then was carried away with everyone. Danny glanced at Tucker and nodded firmly. Tucker hesitated, then he, too, was swept away._

_ Sam fought the crowd, but she kept stumbling back. She turned around, walking backwards and depending on the support of others. She watched, eyes wide as Danny looked frantically for a place to change. More students were running, though, and too many people were in the room. She watched Valerie grab Danny's hand and pull him in Sam's direction. Danny shook his hand, shaking his hand free. Valerie stared for a moment, but was then pushed away._

_ A girl screamed, louder than before. Danny's head snapped to the right and saw a girl, her leg trapped underneath a table. Danny dove, the bear ghost getting closer, sensing his prey's weakness. Danny lifted the table, Valerie running forward and tugging the girl free. Danny pushed them both back into the crowd, away from the ghost just in time. The girl looked back at Danny with wide eyes before she was submerged into the group, Valerie holding her arm and pulling her away._

_ The bear ghost snarled at Danny, zeroing in on him even with the tons of students streaming around him. Another teenager tripped, and Danny helped them up, letting them lean on him and slow them down. Danny didn't seem to care, not even flinching as a table banged against a wall, barely missing them. His eyes only showed pure determination. He took most of the teen's weight, pulling her forward and out. This time he spotted Sam, and she quickly acted, lending her shoulder. Danny transferred the girl quickly, then ran back in. _

_ Sam glanced sideways and noticed the girl's eyes glued on Danny. Concern, and awe, shone out of her eyes._

_ They were out of the entrance and on the steps when they heard the ghost roar. Sam ran forwards and glimpsed Danny diving between the kids that were also watching. The bear slashed with his claws but his intended victim was gone. Danny rolled and smashed into a wall, but the short, stubby freshman was protected, trembling in his grasp. Danny grit out something to the freshman, hand reaching down to cradle his elbow. His eyes narrowed in tight control and pain, and he murmured something to the freshman. The freshman nodded, still shaking as the bear took a few menacing steps closer._

_ Meanwhile, Sam was pushing forward in the crowd, that was now in the doorway to the school entrance, watching the entire scene with some fear. The bear sniffed the air, pausing, and looked towards them. It growled, and the group took a step back, now screaming again._

_ "NOW!" Danny yelled, pushing the freshman forward. The freshman ran as fast as he could through the bear's legs, while Danny threw a plastic tray he had found on the ground next to him at the bear. Sam only saw the tray smash into the bear's face, and his enraged expression, but she was told later what had happened._

_ The bear let loose a roar, then dove at Danny, who quickly threw himself to the side. The bear's claws sank into the wall, tearing out chunks. Danny caught up with the freshman and yanked him forwards._

_ "What are you standing around for? RUN!" He yelled at everyone. The kids, startled, decided that was the best course of action as the bear released his claws from the wall, plaster and cement raining down. They all turned and scattered, Danny making sure the freshman got ahead. He then turned around, much to everyone's disbelief, and started yanking the doors shut. The bear, hearing this, turned to Danny. Danny, meanwhile, was pushing them shut. _

_ "Any! Help! Here!" Danny grunted/yelled as he pushed at the slow-moving doors. Dash and Kwan looked at each other, and nodded, rushing forward. They, too, pushed at the doors with Danny. The bear dropped to all fours, and clawed the ground, much like an angry bull._

_ "If I die, I blame you, Fenton." Dash bit out. Danny let out a laugh, sweating. _

_ "ONE! TWO! HEAVE!" He screamed. Dash and Kwan pushed on instinct. Danny leaned in, panting heavily. With one last screech, the doors close as the bear bounded forward. All three teens threw themselves against the door, keeping it closed as the bear hit it with a resounding "Thump". Then Danny yanked them by their sleeves._

_ "Come on!" They stumbled forward, then ran along with all the teens, away from the sight. The kids hit the streets, running along and separating. Sam and Tucker fell into pace along with Danny. The three panted, losing speed as they got closer to Fentonworks. Soon they were walking fast, and they all but collapsed against the steps of Danny's home._

_ "Dude! I'm never running that much again! It's like the mile all over again!" Tucker shuddered. Danny laughed, breaking out into coughs. Sam smacked him on the back and he sent her a grateful glance. All kids paused for a moment before laughing, feeling, strangely victorious._

_ "I guess Danny Phantom should head out." Danny said once his heart had calmed down. Sam touched his arm gently._

_ "I think Danny Phantom did enough for today. The ghost is probably already gone anyway." She smiled. He grinned back, and then the door shot open, the Fenton Parents staring down at the kids, phone in hand. They had already gotten the call from the school, it seemed. Luckily Danny hadn't transformed, and all three kids were quickly pulled into the building to check for any injuries, Jack frantically trying Jazz on her cell phone. She picked up, telling them she had taken refuge at a friend's house, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief._

Sam, now freshly showered, ran her hands over her face. Her towel was wrapped firmly around her hair.

This wasn't the first time Danny had done something like this. Ghosts had been attacking more frequently during the day now, in crowded places. When they were nearby, he would always make sure everyone was evacuated safely. He'd never run away first.

And a saved person rarely forget their savior.

More people smiled at him, just for that shove that had gotten them out of harm's way. Danny didn't notice, but Sam did. And Tucker was realizing too, that less people laughed when Dash pummeled him. Some people even looked…dare he say it, mad.

But Danny was oblivious. It was his instinct, after all. Not always as extreme as today, but always there. That unconscious need to make sure a person was safe…

Danny may not have been 'popular', per say, but others noticed. And they appreciated it. And sometimes, they even told their friends. So Danny was being noticed.

Sam wasn't sure whether she liked it. She flopped on her bed with a groan, releasing her frustration with her feelings. She wanted to believe it was solely because she was worried about the safety of his identity. If Danny gained followers, it wouldn't be safe to transform. Half of his secret identity was based on his anonymity in high school.

But there was a little part of her that said it wasn't just that. The idea that a few girls appreciated him-the real him, not just his Phantom form-made her feel, well jealous. She had always prided herself on recognizing that part of Danny that was so special. The hero in the human.

And now, she wasn't as special.

Sam threw her towel towards the chair, startled when she instead heard a yelp. She sat up.

"…Danny?" The boy materialized, rubbing his head and her towel in his hand. His sheepish expression told all.

"Hey, Sam." Sam stared at him, sputtering.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, confused. Danny blushed, suddenly. Sam blinked.

"I just wanted to make sure you were, y'know, okay." Danny coughed.

"It was kinda nasty today, so I just wanted to make sure…" He rubbed the back of his neck, still flushed. Sam glanced down. Nope, still in her pajamas, not a towel. Why was Danny acting so nervous?

"So you checked up on me?" The incredulity shown in her voice, and Danny flinched.

"Well, uh, yeah." There was an awkward silence, before he smiled, and tossed the towel back to her.

"Better be careful. You might just hit a poor defenseless ghost with a towel." Sam smirked, catching the cloth.

"Yeah, well, if the ghosts weren't in my room, then they wouldn't have to worry about being hit." She grinned, tossing it to her chair again. Danny went intangible, letting it pass through him and grinned back.

"So, you are right?" He asked, losing his silly expression for a moment. Sam's brow furrowed.

"Okay, I mean." He clarified. Sam nodded, understanding and feeling warm for some reason.

"Are you going to go check on the others?" Danny paused. He stared at her. There was a long silence.

"Uh…what?" He asked, genuinely bewildered. Sam gave him a puzzled look.

"The other kids. That got attacked..?" She clarified at his blank look. Danny blinked, then flushed suddenly, eyes widening in understanding.

"Ahh, yeah, well, uh, yeah! I'm gonna go…visit them…yeah." He finished, rubbing his neck. Sam's eyes narrowed, seeing through his lie right away. She relaxed, feeling that warmth again.

"Really? Who are you going to go visit first?" Danny blushed harder, mouth opening and closing.

"Well, that is, uh, of course-" He floundered around for their names at first. Sam watched, smirking.

"I've-I've already visited them! You were the final one! So, I'm done. You're okay?" Sam nodded. "Good!" Danny nodded.

"Then I'm done. Bye Sam!" He flew towards the window, pausing before her. For a moment, she expected a good-bye kiss. Danny struggled with himself, before finally patting her on the back with a awkward smile.

"Bye Danny." She smiled. Danny blushed again, then blew out of her window, turning invisible. Sam watched him go, hair flapping with the wind he created. Sam bit her lip, then, unable to contain her giggles, laughed out loud.

She had been wrong after all. It might not have been in the same way, but she was special.

She hadn't been saved by him, but he had still checked up on her, instead of the others. She was special.

Special to him.

And then there was that warmth again. Flooding over her and settling deep in her chest, ghosting over her face, almost as if she was being embraced all over. As if someone was nuzzling her face.

And then, suddenly, she felt a distinct difference from the warmth. A cooler, softer difference. Only noticeable because she felt engulfed in heat. A soft press against her forehead, a single, gentle caress.

And then gone. Her hair blowing again from the wind coming in from her window, and her face feeling ridiculously flushed, though her forehead feeling quite the opposite.

And she wondered whether she's imagined it, but it had felt more like a heightened perceptiveness, rather than a drunken haze.

So maybe, she could believe in that moment, she was special to him. In a way more similar to the way he was special to her.

And tomorrow, when she convinced herself it had been just a figment of her imagination, she could see his blush as he picked her up in the morning, and begin believing all over again.


End file.
